Iran launched a missile attack targeting Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar on Monday, in what it described as retaliation for recent US strikes on nuclear facilities inside Iran. The move marks a major escalation in the widening conflict between Iran, the United States, and Israel, with serious implications for Gulf security. What did Iran target and why? Iranian state media confirmed that missiles were fired toward Al Udeid, the largest US military base in the Middle East. The base hosts around 8,000 US military personnel and serves as the command center for regional air operations. Some UK forces are also stationed there on rotation. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a statement following the attack, warning that US installations in the region are now considered "vulnerabilities" rather than strategic assets. "Iran will not leave any attack on its sovereignty unanswered," the IRGC said. Qatar's government confirmed that no casualties were reported and that the base had been evacuated ahead of the strike. It remains unclear whether any of the missiles made a direct impact or caused structural damage. How did the US and Qatar respond? Hours before the attack, Qatar temporarily closed its airspace, and both the US and UK advised their citizens in the country to remain indoors. Though those warnings did not explicitly confirm an imminent strike, officials cited them as precautionary due to rising threats in the region. Around one hour before the missile launches, Western intelligence sources reportedly detected preparations by Iran to fire projectiles toward Qatar. U.S. media outlets also quoted anonymous officials confirming the repositioning of Iranian missile launchers. Flight tracking data showed dozens of commercial aircraft en route to Doha diverting to alternate airports. Hamad International Airport, one of the world's busiest aviation hubs, briefly suspended operations. Bahrain and Kuwait also closed their airspace in response to the heightened alert. How did the crisis escalate? The latest developments follow massive U.S. airstrikes over the weekend targeting three Iranian nuclear sites. That action came after nearly a week of Israeli military operations against Iran, launched on June 13 over concerns that Tehran was approaching weapons-grade nuclear capability. Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful and meant for civilian purposes. However, both Israel and the United States have long opposed Iran's enrichment activities, fearing a breakout toward nuclear weaponization. The United States claimed its strikes inflicted significant damage on Iran's underground facilities, but the extent of the impact remains uncertain. The back-and-forth attacks over recent days have raised fears of a broader regional war. — Agencies
