Iran launched missiles at US military bases in Qatar and Iraq 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. AFP journalists reported hearing explosions in Doha, the capital of Qatar, home to the largest US base in the region.
Iran’s National Security Council later 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.
Meanwhile, Qatar said it had successfully intercepted an Iranian missile attack Monday on the United States’ Al Udeid base, the largest US military facility in the Middle East.
“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”.
Qatar also said it “reserved the right to respond” after Iran attacked the US Al Udeid base hosted in the Gulf state, the largest American military facility in the region.
“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.