Iran launched missiles at a US military base in Qatar on Monday, in retaliation for American strikes against its nuclear sites over the weekend. The largest US military base in the Middle East, Al-Udeid, was targeted, and no one has been reported killed or injured.
According to Iranian state media, the attack was a response to the US bombing three of its nuclear programme facilities on Saturday evening. Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that his country would not “submit to anyone’s violation” and would defend its sovereignty.
The US president, Donald Trump, described the attack as “very weak” and suggested peace in the region could proceed. He announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran on Tuesday, which was publicly agreed to by Israel while Iran said it would only stop its attacks if Israel did the same.
Iran had given warning that it was preparing to launch missiles, with three Iranian officials quoted by the New York Times saying Tehran told Doha of its intentions as a way to minimise casualties. Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman described the attack as a “surprise” and a “flagrant violation of its sovereignty”.
The US military base in Qatar is home to the US military’s headquarters for all air operations in the region, and some British military personnel also serve there on rotation. There were differing reports about how many missiles were fired, with Iran saying six, the US saying 14, and Qatar reporting 19 – all of which were intercepted.
The attack came after days of uncertainty over whether the US would join Israel’s military action against Iran, which started on June 13. The US claimed its strikes badly damaged Iran’s nuclear programme, though the full extent of their impact remains unclear.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdjxdgjpd48o