Iran has launched a missile attack on Al Udeid Air Base, a US military base in Qatar, retaliating against the American bombing of its nuclear sites.
According to Iranian state media, the operation is called “Annunciation of Victory.”
A caption on screen called it “a mighty and successful response by the armed forces of Iran to America’s aggression.”
The 24-hectare (60-acre) Al Udeid Air Base, located southwest of the capital Doha, is the forward headquarters for US Central Command.
CENTCOM directs US military operations in a huge swath of territory stretching from Egypt in the west to Kazakhstan in the east.
Established through a defence cooperation agreement in 1996, it is the Middle East’s largest US base and houses about 10,000 troops.
Trump visited the base and addressed US and Qatari troops there in May during a trip to the region.
Speaking to US troops at the base in May, the President said, “my priority is to end conflicts, not start them.”
Al Udeid is also home to the Combined Air Operations Center, which provides command and control of airpower across the region as well as the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, the largest expeditionary wing in the world.
The attack on the military base came shortly after Qatar closed its airspace as a precaution amid threats from Iran.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on its state-run Qatar News Agency that the airspace closure “is part of a series of precautionary measures taken in response to recent developments in the region.”
“Authorities are closely and continuously monitoring the situation, assessing developments in coordination with regional and international partners, and will provide the public with updated information in a timely manner through official channels.”
Qatar’s foreign ministry
It came after the US and United Kingdom urged their citizens to shelter in place there.
Qatar, home to the Al Jazeera satellite news network, also hosted the 2022 FIFA World Cup and has begun in recent years to mend its relations with other Gulf countries after a diplomatic crisis saw it cut off for years in President Donald Trump’s first term.
Qatar maintains diplomatic relations with Iran and shares a massive natural gas field with Tehran.
Qatar Condemns Attack On Al Udeid Air Base
The quick statement from Qatar Foreign Minister spokesman, Majed al-Ansari said that the energy-rich nation “condemns the attack that targeted Al Udeid Air Base by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.”
Qatar Foreign Ministry called the attack “a flagrant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty, its airspace, and international law.”
The ministry added that the continuation of such military activities endangers security and stability of the region. “We call for an immediate end to all military activities,” Qatar’s foreign ministry said.
Also, Qatar’s Defense Ministry stated that Iranian strikes on the gas-rich nation did not inflict any casualties.
The ministry added that Qatari forces took part in intercepting Iranian missiles that were directed toward the Al Udeid base that houses US troops. “We reassure that Qatar’s air defenses successfully thwarted the attack and intercepted the Iranian missiles,” it added.
Qatar said that it would push for diplomatic efforts for “a serious return to the negotiating table and dialogue.”
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