Qatar on Monday confirmed that no casualties were reported after an Iranian missile attack on Al Udeid Air Base, even as Doha condemned the strike, and called for renewed diplomacy amid rising Middle East tensions.
With tensions escalating in the Middle East following the US strikes on key Iranian nuclear facilities late last week, Tehran on Monday targetted American forces as it launched a missile attack on Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base, The Associated Press reported.
The development came just moments after Qatar’s foreign ministry announced the closure of the country’s airspace, citing regional developments following the US strikes on Iran.
According to an AFP report, explosions could be heard across Doha on Monday evening. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry subsequently clarified that no injuries were reported, with spokesperson Majed al-Ansari saying in a statement, “The State of Qatar strongly condemns the attack that targeted Al-Udeid Air Base by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. We consider this a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the State of Qatar, its airspace, international law, and the United Nations Charter. We affirm that Qatar reserves the right to respond directly in a manner equivalent with the nature and scale of this brazen aggression, in line with international law.”
“We reassure that Qatar’s air defenses successfully thwarted the attack and intercepted the Iranian missiles. A detailed statement regarding the circumstances of the attack will be issued later by the Ministry of Defense,” Ansari added.
Al Udeid Air Base, at the heart of US military operations throughout the Middle East, is home to the Combined Air Operations Center, which directs command and control of airpower in the region, and the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, the largest expeditionary wing in the world, per the AP report.
In May, while addressing US troops at Al Udeid, President Donald Trump had said, “My priority is to end conflicts, not start them. But I will never hesitate to wield American power, if it’s necessary, to defend the United States of America or our partners. And this is one of our great partners right here.”
“When we’re threatened, America’s military will respond to our foes without even giving it a thought. We have overwhelming power and crushing force,” Trump had said atthe time.
Late Monday evening, Iran claimed credit for the missile attack on state television, with an accompanying caption claiming that the attack was “a great and successful retaliation” by the Iranian armed forces against what Tehran termed America’s aggression. Tehran said its missile attack on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar Monday night matched the number of bombs the United States dropped on its nuclear facilities early Sunday, according to an AP report.
In a statement issued by its Supreme National Security Council, Iran said this particular base was targeted because it was located away from populated areas.
Meanwhile, a White House senior official told AP that both the Pentagon and the White House were aware of the situation and were closely watching for any possible threats to Al Udeid Air Base.
Earlier during the day, the US Embassy in Qatar had asked American citizens to “shelter in place until further notice.” The British Embassy also issued a similar warning just a few hours later.
Qatar, a strategically significant Gulf nation, is home to Al Udeid Air Base, where the American military’s Central Command has its forward headquarters, per AP.
Qatar is known to have diplomatic relations with Tehran and has a huge offshore natural gas field in common with Iran.
(This is a breaking news story)
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