World

Iran Proves It’s Not Dead Yet With Attack on U.S. Bases

WWIII WATCH

Intercepted missiles lit up the Qatari night sky, but no casualties were reported.

Iran has fired a barrage of missiles at U.S. military bases in Qatar and Iraq, two days after the U.S. struck three of its nuclear sites with B-2 bombers.

Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar
Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar The Daily Beast/Google Earth

The Iranian attack, trumpeted on state TV as “a mighty and successful response by the armed forces of Iran to America’s aggression,” came after Qatar temporarily closed its airspace following reports of an impending strike.

Explosions were heard over the Qatari capital of Doha during the attack on the nearby U.S.-run Combined Air Operations Center at Al-Udeid. However, Qatar’s Ministry of Defense said in a statement that all missiles were “successfully intercepted” and that the incident resulted in “no deaths or injuries.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Al Udeid Air Base
U.S. Air Force

The air defense system was activated at the United States’ Ain al-Asad airbase in Iraq as a precaution, Reuters reported.

The White House and the Department of Defense are aware of, and closely monitoring, potential threats to Al Udeid Air Base, a senior White House official told the Daily Beast. A defense official told the Beast that the attack included “short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles originating from Iran.” The official confirmed that there were no casualties.

Trump did not immediately react to the seemingly failed attack.

Sources told Axios and The New York Times that Iran coordinated its attack with Qatar and that the U.S. was made aware of it in advance, suggesting the assault may have been more symbolic than a serious threat to American lives.

Traces are seen in the sky over Doha, Qatar, after Iran's armed forces targeted the nearby Al-Udeid base.
Traces are seen in the sky over Doha, Qatar, on Monday after Iran's armed forces targeted the nearby Al-Udeid base. Stringer/REUTERS

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards officially confirmed the attacks on bases in Iraq and Qatar in state media, naming the operation “Annunciation of Victory.” A spokesperson for the Iranian military said on state TV, “We warn our enemies that the era of hit and run is over.”

The Al Udeid Air Base, located southwest of Doha, is the focal point of U.S. military forces in the region and the largest military base in the Middle East, housing around 10,000 troops, according to Al Jazeera. Other U.S. allies have also utilized the base, with a number of British troops believed to be currently stationed there.

In a statement, Iranian security officials said they fired the same number of missiles as the U.S. did when President Donald Trump targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities on Saturday. They claimed the strikes were located far from urban and residential facilities and that they would never attack “our friendly and brotherly” neighbor Qatar.

Trump and JD Vance
Donald Trump was in the White House’s Situation Room when the U.S. bombed Iran on Saturday evening. White House/via REUTERS

Qatar’s government has responded by saying it reserves the right to defend itself and will respond in accordance with international law, Reuters reports.

The UAE has also closed its airspace in response to the attack, and Bahrain has urged its citizens to seek shelter.

Trump is reportedly monitoring the situation in the White House Situation Room, alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine.