Iran fired missiles at the US-run Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar on Monday. US officials confirmed that multiple missiles were aimed at the base. So far, no casualties have been reported.
According to CNN, a US official said Iran deliberately targeted the base. This strike came shortly after the US bombed Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend.
Explosions Rock Doha, Flights Suspended
Soon after the launch, loud explosions echoed across Doha. Qatar quickly suspended all air traffic. According to AFP, several blasts were heard in central Doha. Interceptors destroyed the incoming missiles, lighting up the night sky. As a result, panic spread across parts of the capital.
Qatar Strongly Condemns the Attack
Following the attack, Qatar issued a strong statement. Its Defence Ministry confirmed that its air defences intercepted the missiles.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari said, “We express the State of Qatar’s strong condemnation of the attack on Al Udeid Air Base by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, and consider it a flagrant violation of the State of Qatar’s sovereignty and airspace, as well as of international law.”
Qatar also stated that no one was injured. Furthermore, it said it reserved the right to respond.
Iran Claims Responsibility, Calls It Retaliation
Shortly after, Iran’s Armed Forces released a statement. They said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had carried out the strike as part of “Operation Basharat Fatah.”
The statement read, “The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps… has targeted the Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar with a devastating and powerful missile attack.”
Iran called this a direct response to what it described as US aggression.
Iran Issues a Warning to the US
In addition, Iran sent a strong warning to Washington. “The Islamic Republic of Iran… will not leave any attack on its territorial integrity, sovereignty and national security unanswered under any circumstances,” the statement added.
Iran also accused the US of spreading war in the region. Moreover, it described American bases in West Asia as weak points rather than strengths.
Religious Symbolism Adds to Iran's Message
Significantly, Iran linked the timing of the attack to the Islamic month of Muharram. This is a sacred period of mourning in Shia Islam.
The statement warned, “Any repetition of mischief will lead to the acceleration of the collapse of the US military pillars in the region… and the realisation of the common aspiration of the Islamic Ummah.”
Iran also spoke of the “cancerous tumor of Zion,” referring to Israel, and promised more resistance.
US Officials Respond from White House
Meanwhile, top US officials gathered in the White House Situation Room. CNN reported that Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine were monitoring the situation.
Throughout the day, the Pentagon had been tracking possible threats to the Al Udeid base.
Trump Had Recently Visited the Base
Just last month, President Donald Trump visited Al Udeid Air Base on May 17. He was the first sitting US president to do so since the base opened in 2003.
During his visit, he said, “No visit in the Gulf would be complete without stopping to salute the people who keep America safe, strong and free.”
Tensions Rise in the Gulf
Now, this attack has sharply raised tensions in the region. Iran struck just days after the US hit its nuclear facilities. Both sides appear ready for more confrontation. As a result, the Gulf faces one of its most dangerous military stand-offs in recent years.