Doha: Iran on Monday launched missile strikes on US military bases in Qatar and Iraq, in what is being seen as a retaliatory move following recent American attacks on three Iranian nuclear facilities.
Explosions were reportedly heard in Doha, the capital of Qatar, shortly after the missile strikes. Iranian state television claimed that US forces at Qatar’s Al-Udeid air base had been targeted.
Footage broadcasted the attack with martial music and described the strikes as a “powerful and successful response” to the earlier US action. “Iran’s revenge is complete,” the broadcast said.
An Iraqi security official, speaking to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said that Iran also targeted the Ain al-Asad base in western Iraq, which hosts US troops.
In response to the escalation, several Gulf nations, including Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates, closed their airspace as a precautionary measure.
Qatar condemned the Iranian attacks and asserted its right to retaliate. It also claimed to have intercepted some of the incoming Iranian missiles mid-air.
Due to the situation, two flights from India to Qatar were cancelled. Residents in Doha reported witnessing the missiles streaking across the night sky during the attack.
Tensions in the region have spiked following the series of US-Iran confrontations, raising concerns over a broader conflict in the Gulf.
