Iran warns & then fires missiles at U.S. base in Qatar

Missiles are visible over Doha, Qatar, after Iran's armed forces say they targeted Al-Udeid Air Base in a missile attack Monday. (Reuters)

AP 

Iran launched a missile attack targeting a U.S. military base in Qatar on Monday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said, after the country’s leaders vowed to retaliate for U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. Qatar condemned the strike, which it said its air defenses intercepted. Explosions were reported in the sky over the Qatari capital, Doha, which is about 20 miles northeast of al-Udeid Air Base, the forward headquarters for U.S. Central Command and home to about 10,000 troops. The Pentagon is not aware of any U.S. casualties or deaths, a U.S. defense official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing assessments. The attack followed a warning from the U.S. Embassy in Qatar urging American citizens there to shelter in place.

Soon after Iran fired missiles at Qatar, neighboring Bahrain said that it was suspending air traffic as a precautionary measure “in light of the evolving regional situation.” Air raid sirens also sounded in the country, the interior ministry said late Monday, urging residents to find the nearest safe place. 

Al-Udeid Air Base holds the largest U.S. contingent in the Middle East. The base, which is owned by Qatar and located 20 miles southwest of the capital, Doha, is a forward command post for U.S. Central Command, the military combatant command with overall responsibility for the Middle East, and can house more than 10,000 troops.  

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Tehran Times 

TEHRAN – Iran targeted the biggest U.S. base in West Asia on Monday, firing the same number of missiles American forces used on Iran's nuclear sites over the weekend to hit the Al Udeid Air Base in the Persian Gulf country of Qatar, according to a statement by Iran's Supreme National Security Council.

In a separate statement, the Iranian Armed Forces said the country is ready to hit more American targets in the future if Washington persists with its aggression against Iran. "The will of the powerful, popular Armed Forces of Iran will ensure that any repeat of mischief will only accelerate the collapse of America’s military presence in the region, their humiliating retreat from West Asia, and the realization of the shared aspiration of the Islamic Ummah and freedom-seeking nations of the world—the eradication of the cancerous Zionist tumor,” the statement read. 

It is believed that the base was evacuated before the strikes. Experts believe Iran is capable of carrying out the same type of attacks against the 18 other American bases scattered across West Asia. 

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