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Iran launched missiles at a US military base in Qatar as Tehran collided with the United States in retaliation over Donald Trump’s bombing major nuclear sites by the Islamic regime over the weekend.
Residents heard an explosion booming throughout Doha on Monday evening. This was because air defenses attempted to intercept up to 10 missiles fired at Al-Udeid Base.
The vast base just outside Qatar’s capital is the regional headquarters of the US Central Command, which usually hosts around 10,000 American troops. However, most staff were evacuated last week, with aircraft and other equipment moving as tensions in the area spiked.
“Qatar’s air prevention blocked the attack and successfully intercepted Iran’s missiles,” said Al-Ansari, a spokesman for Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He said there were no casualties.
The US and Qatar were aware of the imminent threat of attacks hours before the missile was released, a person familiar with the issue told FT.
As traders calculated that the attacks were primarily symbolic, oil prices could fall, indicating efforts to eliminate Iranian conflict despite risks that could lead to a robust response.
Qatar had previously closed its airspace in anticipation of an Iranian attack. The US and British embassies in Doha had told citizens of the small Gulf state “refuge shelter.”
The Iranian attack came a day after Trump ordered the US troops to drop “bunkerbuster” bombs on Fordow and Natantz when Washington joined Israel’s 10-day war with the Islamic Republic.
An attack on Aludade, which also serves as the regional headquarters of the Royal Air Force, also runs the risk of dragging the UK into conflict. On Monday, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the UK is ready to protect the region’s personnel and assets and is “of allies and partners.”
Shortly before the attack, Iranian military commander Major General Abdulrahim Musavi said that Trump “violated all international norms by violating the airspace of our beloved country” and that “the crime itself and blatant rudeness are not the answer.”
Iran launched a similar attack on the US in 2020, when it launched missiles at two US bases in Iraq after ordering the assassination of Iran’s most powerful commander, Kasem Soleimani. The attack was telegraphed and did not cause any damage, and both sides returned from the brink of full-scale war.
However, regional officials said the attacks and threats on Gulf countries “will definitely affect ongoing relationship building efforts between Iran and its Arab neighbors.”
Qatar’s Ansari said the Gulf state “reserves the right to respond directly,” increasing the possibility of widening regional conflicts, but called for an “immediate halt” of military action.
International airlines, including British Airways, Air France, Kuwait Airlines and Etihad, had previously cancelled or reroute several destinations on the Gulf Coast.
BP, Totalenergies and ENI have begun evacuating foreign staff from oil fields in southern Iraq amid concerns that Iran could target the region’s energy infrastructure.
Since Israel began its war with Iran 10 days ago, regional states have been on the edge for fear of attacks on US bases and energy facilities. They are also concerned that Iran can try to block the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway through which about a quarter of the world’s seaborne coarse path passes.
Gulf countries, including Qatar, have previously told the Trump administration they would not allow the US to use territorial bases to launch attacks on Iran.
The United States has approximately 40,000 troops in the Middle East at bases and military facilities in Qatar in Bahrain, hosting the Navy’s 5th Fleet, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Omar, Saudi Arabia and Syria.
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The US has 2,500 troops in Iraq and hundreds in Syria, and could be vulnerable to attacks from Iran-backed Shiite extremists and Iranian missiles.
Israel spread the strike early on Monday to Iran, attacking Tehran sites, including the infamous Evin Prison and the headquarters of Baziji, a force associated with the elite revolutionary security forces.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the military will attack Iran as long as the Islamic Republic continues to fire in Israel.
But the two, well-versed in the Israeli government’s ideas, say they were looking for ways to pique the conflict, given the damage they have already inflicted on Iran’s ballistic missiles and nuclear capabilities.
“Israel is pleased to be able to close this operation in the next few days. It depends on the US, the international community and almost all Iranians,” one of the people said.
Additional Reports by David Sheppard
