Iran fired 10 missiles at the base in Qatar, apparently equal to the number of bombs that the United States used in its strike over the weekend.
Iranian state television confirmed on Monday afternoon that the country’s military had carried out an attack on the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar on Monday. One of two military facilities near the capital of Doha, Al Udeid houses the Qatar Emiri Air Force, as well as the United States Air Force and the UK’s Royal Air Force. The base, which hosts approximately 10,000 troops, is also the forward headquarters of the United States Central Command and HQ for the US Air Forces Central Command.
The attack comes as a response to the American bombing campaign against three Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend. Although Al Udeid is not geographically the closest American base to Iran—the United States’ military facility in Erbil, Iraq, is closer—Al Udeid is noted for being far more significant in terms of size.
Qatari air defense was reported to have “thwarted the attack and successfully intercepted the Iranian missiles,” according to a spokesperson for the Qatari Minister of Foreign Affairs. The spokesperson further said that Doha has condemned the attack, and stated that Qatar will reserve “the right to respond directly in a manner proportional to the nature and scale of the blatant aggression.”
Qatar has announced that it will temporarily close its airspace due to rising regional tensions. This follows similar moves by Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which also closed their respective airspaces following the Iranian strikes.
Is Iran Attempting to De-escalate?
US defense officials have confirmed that short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles targeted Al Udeid Air Base, and that there had been “advance warning” of the Iranian attack.
Iran fired a total of 10 missiles at the base, apparently equal to the number of bombs that the United States used in its strike over the weekend. Iran had also coordinated the strikes with Qatari officials—a possible signal that Tehran is seeking to de-escalate rather than escalate the conflict.
However, mixed messages are being sent.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council issued a statement noting that Al Udeid is “far from urban facilities and residential areas in Qatar,” and that it was not meant to “pose any threat to our friendly and brotherly country, Qatar.”
However, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had previously announced it had carried out a “devastating and powerful missile attack” that was aimed at the “headquarters of the [US] Air Force and the largest strategic asset of the US terrorist army in the West Asia region.”
In an address from the White House on Saturday evening, President Donald Trump warned that any retaliation would be “met with force greater than what was witnessed.”
Israel Continues to Bomb Iran
Even as the Trump administration may have opted for a “one and done” approach to disabling Iran’s nuclear program, Israel has continued to carry out additional strikes on Iran, striking facilities throughout the country—most recently including a paramilitary headquarters and prison in Tehran and access routes to the Fordow nuclear facility.
Though the Trump administration has claimed the heavily fortified Fordow nuclear site was destroyed, it remains unclear how much actual damage it has taken.
This is a developing story.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a thirty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
