In this screenshot from a video, missiles and air defense interceptors illuminate the night sky over Doha after Iran launched an attack on U.S. forces at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar on Monday. Getty Images hide caption
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Iran’s state-run news agency Tasnim said Monday that Tehran launched missile attacks on U.S. bases in Qatar and Iraq. Al Jazeera, based in Qatar, reported spotting missiles in the skies over the Gulf emirate, which is home to the U.S airbase of Al Udeid, U.S. Central Command’s forward headquarters in the Middle East.
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A U.S. defense official who was not authorized to speak publicly about sensitive military matters told reporters in an email, “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 U.S. casualties. We are monitoring this situation closely and will provide more information as it becomes available.”
Qatar said its air defenses successfully intercepted Iranian missiles targeting the air base.
President Trump said on social media that U.S. officials had been given advance notice by Iran of the strikes.
“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 said in a post. “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.”
Trump thanked the Emir of Qatar, and said that he hoped Iran could “now proceed to Peace and Harmony in the region, and I will enthusiastically encourage Israel to do the same.”
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The attack came hours after Qatar closed its airspace and the U.S. Embassy called on American nationals to shelter in place.
It followed an attack over the weekend by U.S. B-2 bombers on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari said in a statement on X: “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 and the United Nations Charter. 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 and in accordance with international law.” He said the base had been evacuated prior to the attack.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres’ spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said in a statement, “The Secretary-General is deeply alarmed by the further escalation of the conflict in the Middle East. From the outset of the crisis, the Secretary-General has repeatedly condemned any military escalation in this conflict, including today’s attack by Iran on the territory of Qatar. He further reiterates his call on all parties to stop fighting.”
