Iran has announced it launched missiles at a major US air base in Qatar on Monday, in what it said was retaliation for recent American strikes on its nuclear facilities. Explosions were reported in Doha, the Qatari capital, and projectiles were seen in the sky.
Qatar confirmed that its “air defences successfully intercepted a missile attack targeting Al Udeid Air Base,” which hosts the largest US military facility in the Middle East. The base is located approximately 190 kilometres south of Iran.
Iran’s National Security Council stated that the base was targeted “in response to the US aggressive and insolent action against Iran’s nuclear sites and facilities.” The council indicated that the number of missiles used matched the number of bombs it claimed the US had deployed in its strikes.
Tensions in the region have been high after more than a week of reported Israeli strikes on nuclear and military sites in Iran. The United States joined the campaign on Sunday, conducting attacks on three key Iranian nuclear facilities, including an underground site at Fordo, reportedly using powerful bunker-busting bombs.
Following Iran’s retaliatory action, French President Emmanuel Macron called for an end to the “spiral of chaos.”
Iran’s security council insisted its “action does not pose any threat to our friendly and brotherly country, Qatar.” However, Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman, Majed Al-Ansari, stated that his country “reserves the right to respond directly in a manner proportional to the nature and scale of this blatant aggression.”
Saudi Arabia, a long-standing regional rival of Iran, strongly condemned Tehran’s attack and offered its support to Qatar.
AFP news agency reported hearing blasts in central Doha and Lusail, north of the capital, on Monday evening, with witnesses seeing projectiles in the night sky.
A US defence official confirmed that Al Udeid was “attacked by short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles originating from Iran,” adding that there were no immediate reports of casualties. Qatar’s spokesman said the base had been evacuated as a precaution. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed, via state media, that six missiles had hit the base.
While Iranian state media initially reported missile launches at a US base in Iraq, this was not mentioned by Iran’s National Security Council. Iraqi security sources later told AFP that no such attacks had occurred “so far.”
Earlier in the day, Qatar announced the temporary closure of its airspace due to “developments in the region.” Foreign embassies in Qatar, including that of the United States, had advised their citizens to seek shelter. Neighbouring Bahrain and Kuwait also temporarily suspended air traffic following the missile attack.
US President Donald Trump had earlier asserted that Sunday’s strikes had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capabilities, but other US officials indicated that it was too early to fully assess the impact on Iran’s atomic programme.
Coinciding with Iran’s announcement of the attacks on Qatar, explosions were heard in northern Tehran. An AFP journalist reported seeing yellow flashes in the sky over the capital, consistent with Iranian air defence systems being activated.
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