Iran has launched an attack on the United States’ Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar in retaliation for the US strike on its nuclear facilities.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced the launch of its retaliatory strikes on Monday, a day after the US attack, which is believed to be in support of Israel, which commenced attacks on Iran on 13 June.
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Although the Iranian government also announced strikes on a US base in Iraq, only the attack on the Qatari base has been confirmed at the time of this report.
PREMIUM TIMES reports that earlier on Monday, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, vowed to punish its “Zionist enemy,” while describing the attack as a mistake and a “big crime.”
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Several explosions were heard over the Qatari capital, Doha, and smoke was seen rising from a distance.
The IRGC described the strike as a “clear and explicit” message to the White House, warning that Iran “will not leave any attack on its territorial integrity, sovereignty, or national security unanswered under any circumstances.”
Qatar, however, said it intercepted the Iranian missiles fired at the US base. No casualty was recorded in the attack, while none were also recorded when the US attacked the Iranian nuclear facilities.
Qatar is home to the largest concentration of US troops in the Middle East, with over 8,000 personnel based at Al Udeid Air Base near the capital, Doha.
The US also maintains a military foothold at Ain al-Asad Air Base, located in Iraq’s western Anbar province.
According to Iran’s National Security Council, the missiles fired at Qatar match the same number of bombs that the US used in its strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The council said that Iran’s attack “does not pose any threat to our friendly and brotherly country, Qatar.”
The council also noted that it targeted the base because it was outside of populated areas.
Qatar condemns attack
Qatar, in a statement on X, condemned the missile strike targeting Al Udeid Air Base but noted that its defence systems successfully intercepted the incoming missiles.
The country’s Ministry of Defence noted that no casualties were recorded, and the country’s airspace had been secured.
The Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson, Majed Al-Ansari, said, “We express the State of Qatar’s strong condemnation of the attack targeting the Al Udeid Air Base by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.”
“Qatar reserves the right to respond directly in a manner proportionate to the nature and scale of this blatant aggression and in accordance with international law,” Mr Ansari said.
Meanwhile, Qatar temporarily closed its airspace, as both the United States and the United Kingdom advised their citizens in the country to remain indoors and shelter in place “until further notice.”
Shortly after the attack, Bahrain, home to the US 5th Fleet headquarters, said air raid sirens were activated after unidentified objects were detected in Bahrain’s airspace.
Bahrain’s Interior Ministry said that it was later determined that the objects were moving out of the airspace, prompting the sounding of the alarms.
The US defence department has, however, described Iran’s attack on the Al Udeid air base in Qatar as a symbolic response to US strikes.
Saudi Arabia, Russia, China react
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has strongly condemned Iran’s retaliatory strike on the Al Udeid military base in Qatar, denouncing it “in the strongest terms.”
In a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Riyadh described the attack on US forces stationed in Qatar as “a flagrant violation of international law and the principles of good neighbourliness”.
“The Kingdom affirms its solidarity and full support for the sisterly State of Qatar and is deploying all its capabilities to support the sisterly State of Qatar in all the measures it takes,” the ministry said.
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But Russia and China have blamed the US for the escalation of the crisis, while warning that this carries the risk of a broader war.
“The absolutely unprovoked aggression against Iran has no basis and no justification. For our part, we are making efforts to assist the Iranian people,” Al Jazeera quoted President Vladimir Putin as saying.
On the other hand, the Chinese government questioned the rationale of Israel attacking Iran over “possible future threats”.
Beijing described the attack as the wrong signal to the world.
PREMIUM TIMES reports that the latest violence in the Middle East commenced on 13 June when Israel launched surprise air attacks on Iran. Iran retaliated with missiles and both sides have continued to attack each other since. Hundreds of people have been killed in Iran in the Israeli attacks, while dozens have been killed in Israel. The Israeli government and many American politicians have been urging the US to get involved in the war, culminating in Sunday’s US airstrike on Iran.
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