War in middle east deepens as Iran hits U.S. base in Qatar

Iran launched missiles at US military base in Qatar on Monday evening, official media reported, in what state TV called a “powerful” response to recent American strikes on key nuclear sites. “The operation of Iranian missiles against American bases located in Qatar and in Iraq has begun, and is called ‘Blessing of Victory’,” the official […]

Iran launched missiles at US military base in Qatar on Monday evening, official media reported, in what state TV called a “powerful” response to recent American strikes on key nuclear sites.

“The operation of Iranian missiles against American bases located in Qatar and in Iraq has begun, and is called ‘Blessing of Victory’,” the official press agency IRNA said.

Iran’s National Security Council confirmed it had attacked a major US military base in Qatar on Monday in retaliation for American strikes on its nuclear facilities, adding its response did not “pose any threat” to its Gulf neighbour.

“In response to the US aggressive and insolent action against Iran’s nuclear sites and facilities, a few hours ago, the powerful armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran struck the US air base in Al-Udeid, Qatar,” the council said in a statement, adding that the number of missiles used “was the same as the number of bombs that the US had used in attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities”.

“This action does not pose any threat to our friendly and brotherly country, Qatar,” it added.

A US defence official said there are no known American casualties or damage to the facility.

“I can confirm that Al Udeid Air Base was attacked by short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles originating from Iran today. At this time, there are no reports of US casualties,” the official said.

“We are not aware of any damage to the installation at this time,” the defence official added.

The Iranian attack came after Washington’s forces struck three of Tehran’s nuclear sites with bombs and missiles over the weekend.

The massive Al Udeid base – which hosts thousands of American personnel – includes the forward headquarters of the US Central Command as well as of its air and special operations forces.

Earlier, the US embassy in Qatar advised Americans there not to go out, with other Western embassies echoing the warning.

“Out of an abundance of caution we recommend American citizens shelter in place until further notice,” the US embassy said on its website.

Britain and Canada later cited the US security alert in their own recommendations to nationals.

Last week, dozens of US military aircraft were no longer on the tarmac at al-Udeid, according to satellite images published by Planet Labs PBC and analysed by AFP.

Nearly 40 military aircraft – including transport planes like the Hercules C-130 and reconnaissance aircraft – were parked on the tarmac at the base, the regional headquarters of the Pentagon’s Central Command, on June 5, but in an image taken on June 19, only three aircraft were visible.

 

 Qatar threatens to respond

Qatar said it successfully intercepted an Iranian missile attack Monday on the United States’ Al Udeid base.

“The Ministry of Defense announced that Qatari air defenses successfully intercepted a missile attack targeting Al Udeid Air Base,” it said in a statement, adding that “the incident did not result in any deaths or injuries”.

However, there are reports that some of the missiles might have hit their targets with AFP journalists reporting hearing explosions in Doha, the capital of Qatar.

Qatar condemned the attack, calling it a  “flagrant violation” of its sovereignty.

“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,” foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari said in a statement.

“We affirm that the State of Qatar reserves the right to respond directly in a manner proportional to the nature and scale of this blatant aggression,” foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari said in a statement, adding that the US base had been evacuated as a precaution ahead of the attack.

In the middle of the chaos in the middle east, Bahrain has suspended air traffic temporarily after the attack.

“The Civil Aviation Affairs of the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications announced the temporary suspension of air navigation in the skies of the Kingdom of Bahrain as a precautionary measure in light of recent regional developments,” said a statement carried by the official Bahrain News Agency.

Also, Kuwait said it was closing its airspace “until further notice” on Monday.

“In the interest of the country’s security and safety, and in light of the precautionary measures taken in a number of neighbouring countries, which include the closure of their airports and airspace, the State of Kuwait announces the temporary closure of its airspace as a precautionary measure, effective today until further notice” the Kuwaiti Directorate General of Civil Aviation said in a statement.

 

Saudi Arabia, UAE, others condemn attack

Some countries have reacted to the attack, condemning Iran for drawing Qatar into its war.

Saudi Arabia lambasted Iran for its “unjustifiable” attack on a US base in Qatar on Monday, offering to deploy “all its capabilities” to support Doha, with whom it has had fraught relations in the past.

Riyadh said it “condemns and denounces in the strongest terms the aggression launched by Iran against the sisterly State of Qatar… This is unacceptable and unjustifiable under any circumstances.

“The Kingdom affirms its solidarity and full support for… Qatar and offers all its capabilities to support the sisterly State of Qatar in any measures it takes,” Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

Also, the United Arab Emirates on Monday denounced in the “strongest terms” the attack by Iran.

The UAE “condemns in the strongest terms the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s targeting of Al Udeid Air Base in the sisterly State of Qatar, considering it a flagrant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and airspace,” Abu Dhabi’s foreign ministry said in a statement carried by official news agency WAM.

The Israeli military said Monday that Iran’s retaliatory attack on US military bases proved that the country was a threat to “the entire world”.

“I want to say that this is further proof of hostility and violence and of the fact that Iran is a terrorist state, which threatens not only Israel, but the entire Middle East, including its neighbours and the entire world,” military spokesman Effie Defrin told reporters in a televised press conference.

Israel has been attacking Iran from the air since launching a surprise operation on June 13.

On his part, French President Emmanuel Macron called for a return to negotiations, saying, “The spiral of chaos must end.”

“I call on all parties to exercise the utmost restraint, de-escalate and return to the negotiating table.”

Speaking to broadcaster France 2, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said: “This is a dangerous escalation in which Iran bears a heavy responsibility. It is a cycle of violence that puts the region at risk of a widespread conflagration, which would have very serious repercussions even here at home.”

 

‘No attacks ‘so far’ on U.S. bases in Iraq’

Iraqi security sources told AFP that Iran had not attacked the main base hosting US troops in the country “so far”.

“There have been no attacks so far on Ain al-Assad,” a major Iraqi airbase in Anbar province hosting American troops and other personnel from the US-led coalition against jihadists, said a security official in the province.

“We are monitoring the situation in case anything happens,” the official added, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

A military source in Baghdad, also speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that “for the moment, Ain al-Assad has not been targeted”, and neither had the base at Baghdad International Airport, where US troops are also deployed.

He added that the bases were “on security alert”.

Likewise, no attacks were immediately reported at the military base of the anti-IS coalition at the airport in Arbil, the capital of the northern autonomous Kurdistan region.

Iran’s official press agency IRNA had reported earlier that Iran launched missiles “against American bases located in Qatar and in Iraq”.

But in its announcement of the attack on the base in Qatar, the National Security Council made no mention of Iraq.

 

‘Very weak response’, Trump mocks Iran

President Donald Trump dismissed Iran’s retaliatory strikes that targeted a US base in Qatar as “very weak,” while welcoming “early notice” given by Tehran.

“Iran has officially responded to our Obliteration of their Nuclear Facilities with a very weak response, which we expected, and have very effectively countered,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, after multiple missiles were launched toward the Al Udeid base in Qatar.

“I want to thank Iran for giving us early notice, which made it possible for no lives to be lost, and nobody to be injured,” he added.