Iran Fires Missiles at US Air Base in Qatar in Retaliation for Air Strikes on Nuclear Sites

Iran has fired missiles at the United States’ Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar in retaliation for U.S. airstrikes on its nuclear sites over the weekend.

According to the BBC, people in Qatar’s capital, Doha, reported hearing loud explosions. Videos showed light flashes in the sky as air defence systems tried to stop the missiles. Flares were also seen over the city.

Qatar’s government confirmed that its air defence systems intercepted the missiles. No one was killed or injured, and the base had reportedly been evacuated before the attack.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for the missile launch. In a statement, it said, “Iran will not leave any attack on its sovereignty unanswered.” It also described US bases in the region as “vulnerabilities.”

Al Udeid is the largest US military base in the Middle East. It hosts nearly 8,000 US personnel and serves as a command centre for air operations. Some British troops are also stationed there. The US President Donald Trump has called Iran’s missile strike on the US base in Qatar a “very weak response”. On Truth Social, he said early warning from Iran prevented casualties.

The missile strike comes after the US carried out airstrikes on three nuclear sites inside Iran. Those strikes followed Israel’s earlier attacks on Iranian targets, which began on 13 June and killed several top Iranian officials. West Africa Weekly earlier noted that Iran is a Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) member and has not been formally found to violate its terms.

Before Monday’s missile launch, the US and UK told their citizens in Qatar to stay indoors. Qatar also closed its airspace as a safety measure. The BBC reported a “credible threat” to the base shortly before the attack. US media also said that Iran had moved missile launchers into position earlier in the day.

Iran’s top security body said the missiles were fired away from residential areas. It added that the strike was not meant to harm Qatar or its people and that Iran wants to maintain good relations with the country. However, Qatar condemned the attack as a violation of its sovereignty.

The US Department of State has further advised American citizens worldwide to exercise increased caution due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.

About The Author

Confidence Ubani

author

See author's posts