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Iran said it launched missiles at the US military’s largest Middle East base, Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, just days after American forces struck its nuclear facilities.
Tasnim, a semi-official news agency associated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said Tehran targeted US bases in Qatar and Iraq with missiles. Iranian state TV also announced missile strikes on Al Udeid, calling it “a mighty and successful response by the armed forces of Iran to America’s aggression.”
Qatar’s foreign ministry confirmed the attack on Al Udeid, which it described as a “flagrant violation” of its sovereignty.
Open-source accounts online shared footage purporting to show American air defenses engaging targets.
The Defense Department, US Air Force, and US Central Command, which oversees Middle East operations, did not immediately comment on the Iranian actions.
Satellite imagery of Al Udeid last week showed dozens of military aircraft missing from the base after around 40 were spotted there earlier in the month. The air base supports a vast array of US aircraft, including B-52 strategic bombers, C-17 Globemaster transports and RC-135 Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft.
It’s unclear if any of the aircraft returned. Although the planes may no longer be there, US military personnel would still likely be on base.
Tehran had suggested that it could retaliate after US stealth bomber aircraft and a guided-missile submarine launched airstrikes against three Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend.
Earlier on Monday, the US Embassy in Qatar warned Americans to shelter in place until further notice, just hours before Doha closed its airspace, suggesting that an attack could be imminent.
President Donald Trump had warned Iran that any retaliation against the US would be met with more force than the initial strikes.
“Our forces remain on high alert and are fully postured to respond to any Iranian retaliation or proxy attacks, which would be an incredibly poor choice,” Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters on Sunday.
The US military has a large Middle East presence that is capable of air defense, including ground-based missile interceptors, fighter jets, warships, and aircraft carriers.
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