In what it claimed was revenge for American assaults on its nuclear installations over the weekend, Iran fired missiles toward a US military installation in Qatar. Videos show brilliant flashes in the sky as air defense systems try to intercept missiles, and witnesses have reported hearing tremendous explosions in the sky over Doha, the capital.
Tensions in the Middle East have recently surged to previously unheard-of heights due to the most recent escalation in a confrontation between Iran, Israel, and the US. Information on this most recent incident is still being gathered.
Why did Iran target the US base in Qatar?
Al Udeid Air Base, the biggest US military installation in the Middle East, was the target of Iranian missiles. In addition to housing the US military’s headquarters for all of its aviation operations in the area, the State Department estimates that over 8,000 US citizens are stationed there. On a rotating basis, several British military troops also serve at the site.
The base had been evacuated prior to the attack, according to the Qatari authorities, and no one had been killed or injured. It’s unclear if there has been any material damage or if any of the missiles struck the base. Iranian official media initially verified the incident, followed by the military.
The Iranian military’s most potent component, the IRGC, issued a statement declaring that “Iran will not leave any attack on its sovereignty unanswered” and that “US bases in the region are not strengths but vulnerabilities.” The United States has earlier encouraged Tehrani officials to agree to a diplomatic halt to regional conflicts and cautioned Iran not to retaliate for its strikes on nuclear sites.
How did the US and Qatar respond to the missile threat?
On Monday, there were signs that the United States believed Iran was getting ready to fire missiles into Qatar. Qatar said that it was temporarily restricting its airspace hours prior to the incident. Shortly after that, the United States and the United Kingdom advised its citizens to seek shelter until further notice.
Despite the US claiming that it gave the order “out of an abundance of caution” and the UK claiming that it was following the Americans’ example, the warnings did not clearly indicate that an attack was imminent.
Separately, unidentified US sources were cited by certain US media sites as stating that Iranian missile launchers had been set up in anticipation of a possible launch in the direction of Qatar. Prior to the launch, flights had already begun diverting to other airports, according to flight tracking websites. Just before missiles were seen, 100 planes were headed for Doha, according to Flightradar24.
With almost 140,000 people traveling through each day, Hamad International Airport is among the top 10 busiest for international travel worldwide. Bahrain and Kuwait were among the other nations in the area that also blocked their airspace.
