Iran carried out its promised revenge attack for the American bombing of its nuclear facilities, launching missiles at the U.S. Al-Udeid air base in Qatar - the largest U.S. base in the Middle East. Iran claimed the attack was "powerful and devastating," but the Americans received advance warning hours before of the intention to carry out the attack and, according to a report in the New York Times, Tehran did so with the deliberate aim of reducing the number of casualties and thus avoiding a significant escalation.
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Half-remains of a missile that fell in the Doha area, the launch of Iranian missiles toward Qatar
Qatar announced for its part that the base was evacuated ahead of time, and that there were no casualties at all in the missile attack - which it said was intercepted.
Iran coordinated its Monday night attack on the American air base at Al-Udeid with officials in Qatar, and even gave advance warning of the time of the attack in order to minimize casualties and allow all sides an "exit point.
Three Iranian sources familiar with the operation told the New York Times it was a symbolic need to respond to the U.S. strikes, but in a way that would avoid a full-scale escalation. The sources compared the strategy to a similar move Iran took in 2020, when it warned Iraq before launching missiles at a US base in response to the killing of General Qassem Soleimani.
Iran launched 10 missiles at Qatar and one at Iraq in its counterattack against US strikes on nuclear sites. Explosions were heard over Doha, the capital of Qatar, and military sources told Reuters that air defense systems were activated at the U.S. Ain al-Asad base in Iraq, fearing a possible attack.
Qatar's Foreign Ministry issued a strong statement following the Iranian attack on the Al-Udeid base, stating that Doha "strongly condemns the attack" and considers it a serious violation of its sovereignty, airspace, international law and the UN Charter. The statement stated that Qatar's air defense system successfully intercepted the missiles that were launched, and that the country reserves the right to respond "in a manner appropriate to the nature and scope of the attack," in accordance with international law.
Iran launches missiles at Qatar
The Iranian Tasnim News Agency, which is affiliated with the regime, confirmed the attack, reporting that Iran has launched a missile operation called Blessing of Victory against American bases in Iraq and Qatar.
An official statement published by the Iranian forces stated that the Revolutionary Guards attacked the Al-Udeid base in Qatar with a "destructive and powerful" missile attack, as part of Operation Blessing of victory in response to the attack on Iranian nuclear facilities by the U.S.
The announcement called the base "the main headquarters of the Air Force and the largest strategic asset of the American terrorist army in West Asia," and stated that "the message of the operation is clear: Iran will not leave any aggression against its sovereignty and national security unanswered." Tehran also warned that any repeated attack by the US "will accelerate the collapse of the American military establishment in the region and the realization of the aspiration to eradicate the cancerous growth of Zionism."
An Israeli source earlier estimated that Iran's response to the American attacks on its territory would be "limited, circumscribed, and merely symbolic" - mainly to signal a response without leading to a broad escalation, and for now it appears that the Iranian attack fits these definitions.
The source estimated that Iran would attack a base that had been evacuated in advance to allow for a measured end to the incident, and that the Americans might even choose not to respond at all or to shift responsibility for the response to Israel. "From their perspective, the Americans have done their part - they don't want to be dragged in," he said. "They have no problem with us continuing until victory, but they want to stay out - unless the Iranians choose a truly extreme move."
The White House and the U.S. Department of Defense said they are closely monitoring "potential threats" to the Al-Udeid base in Qatar, a senior White House official told Reuters Monday evening. This is one of the main American bases in the Middle East, where the US Central Command (CENTCOM) headquarters is located.
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The attack comes after the Fox News network reported, citing sources, that the United States was preparing for an "imminent" threat of an Iranian attack on the Al-Udeid Air Force base in Qatar.
Earlier, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian posted on his X social media account: "We did not start the war and did not want it, but we will not leave the aggression against Iran unanswered. We will stand for the security of this beloved nation and respond to any harm to it with wisdom and determination."
On Monday evening, Qayar's Foreign Ministry announced that Doha has temporarily closed its airspace to ensure the safety of its citizens and visitors. The country's authorities announced the "temporary suspension" to "ensure the safety of citizens, residents and visitors."
The announcement came after the U.S., Britain and China called on their citizens in Qatar to "stay put" and increase precautions, apparently due to fears of an Iranian retaliatory attack on Al-Udeid base - the largest American military base in the Middle East.
First published: 19:53, 06.23.25