Iran attacks U.S. base in Qatar - UPDATES
Retaliatory strikes targeting the Al Udeid Air Base were intercepted by Qatar after the first ever military attack on the Gulf state.
This is a developing story, this article represents updates as of 3:45 pm EST, please stay tuned for more breaking updates and analysis.
Iranian missiles intercepted over Qatar, no casualties
Iran has launched a retaliatory attack against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar which houses 10,000 U.S. soldiers. All missiles launched from Iran at the U.S. base have been intercepted, Qatar said, and no casualties have been reported.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard, Iran’s largest military branch, described the missile attack as “powerful and destructive” in a statement clearly intended for Iran’s civilian population. The attack was in retaliation over Saturday’s U.S. strikes targeting Iran’s nuclear program.
The number of missiles fired at the Al Udeid Air Base were the same as the amount launched by U.S. forces against Iran on Saturday, according to Iran’s National Security Council. This is a sign that Tehran may be looking for de-escalation.
Iran reportedly informed Qatar and the U.S. that it was launching the attack hours beforehand, giving Washington time to prepare. U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly in the situation room with top administration officials in D.C.
Qatari Foreign Affairs Minister Majed Al Ansari has issued a condemnation of the attack, calling it a “violation of the sovereignty of the State of Qatar” and international law.
“We affirm that Qatar reserves the right to respond directly in a manner equivalent with the nature and scale of this brazen aggression,” Al Ansari said on X.
Several other Arab states, including Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq and Saudi Arabia have also issued condemnations of Iran’s attack on Qatar. Airspace was temporarily closed in Iraq, Kuwait and Bahrain leading up to and following the attack.
Trump attacks media in first public statement since retaliatory strike
In his first public statement following the intercepted attack on the largest U.S. base in the Middle East, Trump did not address new developments but attacked U.S. media figures in a post on Truth Social.
“The sites that we hit in Iran were totally destroyed, and everyone knows it. Only the Fake News would say anything different in order to try and demean,” the president said. Trump went on to call CNN’s Anderson Cooper “Alison Cooper,” as American diplomats and civilians in the Middle East were under shelter-in-place orders.
Democratic leaders in Congress, Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, have asked for an immediate classified briefing from the president in the aftermath of Iran’s retaliatory attack. Schumer reiterated that the president must consult with Congress when making decisions which could bring the nation into war.
Israel launches largest attacks on Tehran yet
Israel said today that they had launched the most extensive attacks on Iran’s capital Tehran since the Israel-Iran War began ten days ago, shortly after Iran announced its retaliatory strike on the Al Udeid air base.
Earlier today Israeli strikes hit several targets in and around Tehran, including facilities belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as well as the country’s internal security services.
Israeli forces also struck the notorious Evin prison, which houses political dissidents and journalists. Israeli defence minister Israel Katz said the attack on the prison was part of targeting “agencies of government repression” in Iran.
France’s foreign ministry called the attack on the prison “unacceptable,” as it endangered the lives of the prisoners, which include French citizens. France’s President Emmanuel Macron issued a rare condemnation of Trump’s decision to bomb Iran today.
“There is no legality to these strikes,” Macron said of the U.S. attacks on Iran, adding that he believed stability could only be achieved through diplomacy and negotiation.
Stay tuned for more updates in this week’s edition of The World this Wednesday, as well as breaking updates and analysis throughout the week.