New Delhi: Two days after American airstrikes claimed to have obliterated three key Iranian nuclear sites, Tehran retaliated by launching multiple missiles towards US military bases in Qatar and Iraq on Monday night.
Iranian state television announced the start of ‘Operation Besharat Fatah’, describing the attack on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar as part of a campaign against “blatant military aggression” by the US.
Al Udeid Air Base, located outside Doha, has about 10,000 troops and is the largest American military installation in the Middle East.
Explosions were heard in Doha, Qatar’s capital city, shortly after Iran’s missile launch, Reuters and AFP reported, quoting eyewitnesses.
According to CNN, 10 missiles were fired from Iran towards Qatar and 1 targeting Iraq.
Qatar says Iranian missiles intercepted
Qatar termed the Iranian attack on the US base a “flagrant violation” of sovereignty, and informed that Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted.
“Thanks to God and the vigilance of the armed forces personnel and the precautionary measures taken, the incident resulted in no deaths or injuries. The Ministry reaffirmed that the airspace and territory of the State of Qatar are safe and that the Qatari Armed Forces are always fully prepared to deal with any threat. The Ministry of Defense also advises citizens and residents to follow official sources for directives and the latest developments,” the Qatari Ministry of Defence said in a statement.
Earlier on Monday, Qatar temporarily closed its airspace after the US embassy emailed American citizens in the country, advising them to shelter in safe places until further notice.
Qatar’s Foreign Affairs ministry said in a statement that the closure of its airspace was to ensure safety of residents and visitors.
With more and more countries getting directly and indirectly involved in the conflict, the crisis in Middle East is taking a dangerous turn.
Trump monitoring developments in White House Situation Room
President Donald Trump is currently in the White House Situation Room with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine, monitoring the situation, according to US media reports citing a senior administration official.
Trump had said after the American strikes that Iran should now strike a deal. However, Iran vowed retaliation, and they have been true to their word.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said its armed forces used the same number of bombs in their retaliatory strike as the US used in its earlier attack on Iranian nuclear sites.
