Iran launches missiles at US military base in Qatar in retaliation for American bombing
Iran launched a limited missile attack Monday on a U.S. military base in Qatar, retaliating for the American bombing of its nuclear sites but indicating it was prepared to step back from escalating tensions in the volatile region.
The U.S. was warned by Iran in advance, and there were no casualties, said President Donald Trump, who dismissed the attack as a 鈥渧ery weak response.鈥�
鈥淢ost importantly, they鈥檝e gotten it all out of their 鈥榮ystem,鈥� and there will, hopefully, be no further HATE,鈥� Trump posted on Truth Social.
Qatar condemned the attack on Al Udeid Air Base as 鈥渁 flagrant violation" of its sovereignty, airspace and international law. Qatar said it intercepted all but one missile, though it was not clear if that missile caused any damage.
Iran said the volley matched the number of bombs dropped by the United States on Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend. Iran also said it targeted the base because it was outside of populated areas.
Those comments, made immediately after the attack, suggested Iran wanted to de-escalate with the United States, something Trump himself said after the strikes early Sunday on Iran.
Qatar Maj. Gen. Shayeq Al Hajri said 19 missiles were fired at the base that is home to the Combined Air Operations Center, which provides command and control of air power across the region, as well as the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, the largest such wing in the world. Trump said 14 missiles were fired, 13 were knocked down and one was 鈥渟et free鈥� because it posed no threat.
Trump said Iran might be able to 鈥渘ow proceed to Peace and Harmony鈥� and said he would encourage Israel to do the same.
However, Israel鈥檚 war on Iran continued, with the Israeli military expanding its campaign Monday to target sites symbolic for the country鈥檚 theocracy.
Iran announced the attack on state television as martial music played. A caption on screen called it 鈥渁 mighty and successful response" to "America鈥檚 aggression.鈥�
Just before the explosions, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote on the social platform X: 鈥淲e neither initiated the war nor seeking it. But we will not leave invasion to the great Iran without answer.鈥�
Earlier reports that a missile was launched at a base housing American forces in Iraq were a false alarm, a senior U.S. military official said. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly, said debris from a malfunctioning Iranian missile targeting Israel had triggered an alert of an impending attack on the Ain al-Assad base.