- Web Desk
- 34 Minutes ago
Iran fires missiles at US base in Qatar
-
- Web Desk
- Yesterday
DOHA: Explosions were heard across Doha on Monday just hours after Qatar temporarily suspended air traffic around the country, as Iran retaliated against the US strikes on its nuclear sites.
Qatar is home to the United States’ largest base in the region, while air defence system was also activated in Iraq, with people directed to take refuge in bunkers.
In this connection, the Iranian media said Iran has responded to the US attacks by launching ‘Operation Harbinger of Conquest’ in Iraq and Qatar.
Iran will continue its retaliation in response to the United States’ attacks, a senior Iranian official told Reuters.
He said Iran has the necessary rationality to begin diplomacy after punishing the aggressor, adding if the U.S. seeks negotiations, Israeli and U.S. attacks must stop.
TRUMP IN SITUATION ROOM
Meanwhile, CNBC says US President Donald Trump has reached the “Situation Room” where he is accompanied by the defence secretary and the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff.
In his comments, Trump said the sites the US hit in Iran were totally destroyed and everyone knows it.
Trump said this in a post on Truth Social where he criticised some media for reporting that the sites were “pretty well destroyed”.
WHAT HAS JUST HAPPENED
The development comes as US media reported that Iran fired six missiles at the American military base and the United Arab Emirates too decided to close the country’s airspace.
On the other hand, two US officials told Reuters that no US personnel were killed or injured in Iran’s attack against al Udeid air base.
The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the Iranian attack was carried out by short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles.
Meanwhile, air defense system was also activated in the US Ain al-Asad airbase in Iraq for fear of a potential attack, military sources to Reuters.
Similarly, a Syrian security source told Reuters the main remaining base in northeast Syria hosting US troops is on full alert and mobilised for possible attacks by Iran or Iran-aligned groups.
The base is known as Qasrak and is one of two bases in the northeast Hasakah province where US troops are based.
SNOWBALL EFFECT
Amid the rising tensions, the Pakistan International Airline on Monday decided to suspend flight operations to the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait.
Meanwhile, Bahrain, another Gulf State housing the US troops, too suspended air traffic temporarily after Iran’s attack on a US base in Qatar.
“The Civil Aviation Affairs of the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications announced the temporary suspension of air navigation in the skies of the Kingdom of Bahrain as a precautionary measure in light of recent regional developments,” said a statement carried by the official Bahrain News Agency.
Similarly, Kuwait Airways suspended flight departures from the country due to regional developments, it said in a post on X.
Earlier, the Qatari foreign ministry about suspending the air traffic had said. “The competent authorities announce the temporary suspension of air traffic in the country’s airspace, as part of a set of precautionary measures taken based on developments in the region.”
Read more: UN mission says Israeli strikes on Iran may have violated international law
‘IT’S NOT A THREAT TO BROTHERLY QATAR’
Soon after the missile barrage, Iran’s top security body in a statement old Qatar that “this action does not pose any threat to ‘our friendly and brotherly’ neighbour Qatar”.
It also mentioned that the Iranian armed forces used the same number of bombs that the US had fired for attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities.
FLAGRANT VIOLATION OF SOVEREIGNTY
However, Qatar said it reserves the right to respond directly and in accordance with international law after Iran targeted the Al Udeid U.S. military base in Doha.
It also claimed that they were able to intercept all the Iranian missiles.
Qatar described the missile attack as a “flagrant violation” of its sovereignty.
“We express the State of Qatar’s strong condemnation of the attack on Al Udeid Air Base by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, and consider it a flagrant violation of the State of Qatar’s sovereignty and airspace, as well as of international law,” foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari said in a statement.
UNACCEPTABLE AND UNJUSTIFIABLE
Reacting to the alarming development, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the two wealthiest Gulf States, condemned the Iranian action.
Saudi Arabia lambasted Iran for its “unjustifiable” attack on the US base, offering to deploy “all its capabilities” to support Doha, with whom it has had fraught relations in the past.
Riyadh said it “condemns and denounces in the strongest terms the aggression launched by Iran against the sisterly State of Qatar… This is unacceptable and unjustifiable under any circumstances. The Kingdom affirms its solidarity and full support for… Qatar and offers all its capabilities to support the sisterly State of Qatar in any measures it takes,” Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
Similarly, the United Arab Emirates said it “condemns in the strongest terms the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s targeting of Al Udeid Air Base in the sisterly State of Qatar, considering it a flagrant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and airspace.”
OIL DOWN
As far as the energy supply is concerned, Reuters quoted a source as saying that there has been no interruption to state-owned QatarEnergy shipments or production after Iran’s attack.
But amidst all the chaos, oil prices sank more than 7 per cent Monday after Iran attacked the US military base. Around 1845 GMT, futures for West Texas Intermediate fell 7.26 per cent to $68.48 a barrel, while Brent oil futures were down 7.21 per cent to $71.46.
AIR TRAVEL ALREADY DISRUPTED
Earlier, Israel’s strikes against Iran prompted international airlines to cancel flights to Middle East destinations due to air space closures and safety concerns.
Read more: Which airlines cancel flights to Middle East?
SERIOUS REPERCUSSIONS
Earlier on Sunday, Qatar said it feared serious repercussions after US air strikes on nuclear facilities in Iran.
The foreign ministry “warns that the current dangerous escalation in the region may lead to catastrophic consequences at both the regional and international levels”, a statement said.
Read more: Iran war: China asks UNSC to back unconditional ceasefire
“It calls on all parties to exercise wisdom, restraint, and to avoid further escalation.”
‘COLLUDING WITH A WAR CRIMINAL’
Also on Sunday, Esmaeil Baqaei, the spokesperson of Iranian foreign ministry, said the US strikes on Iran showed that Washington was backing Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“It is now crystal clear that the US administration has been colluding with a war criminal and genocidal warmonger to wage an unjust war of aggression against our beloved nation in flagrant violation of fundamental principles of international law, the UN Charter, and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).”
He made it clear that Iran was resolutely determined to defend its national sovereignty, territorial integrity, national security and people by all necessary means.
You May Also Like
