Iran fired missiles at Qatar and Iraq, according to reports confirmed by Israeli officials. The attack followed Pentagon monitoring of what it described as a "serious" threat to US military bases in the Middle East, amid reports that Iran had positioned missile launchers in readiness for potential strikes.
The official added that Iran launched 10 missiles at US bases in Qatar. No injuries were reported.
Video: Air defense systems activated in Qatar // Arab Networks
Earlier, The Wall Street Journal cited US sources as saying that Iran had deployed missile launchers to strategic positions in anticipation of possible strikes on American forces in the Middle East.
According to updated reports, Iran bombarded the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. Explosions were heard across central Doha and in Lusail, north of the Qatari capital, and projectiles were seen streaking through the night sky.
Simultaneously, maximum alert was declared at the Ain al-Asad Air Base in Iraq, with soldiers ordered into shelters, military sources told Reuters.
IRGC: 'We struck Al Udeid Air Base'
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed responsibility for the missile attack, calling it "Operation Victory Message." In a statement, the IRGC said the assault was "in response to the criminal United States regime's blatant military aggression against the peaceful nuclear facilities of the Islamic Republic."
As part of its threats, the IRGC declared that "the Islamic Republic of Iran will not leave any attack on its territorial integrity, sovereignty, or national security unanswered." The statement also asserted that "US bases and mobile military targets in the region are not a source of strength, but a central point of weakness."
The IRGC further warned that "any repetition of such reckless actions will accelerate the collapse of the American military establishment in the region and lead to their disgraceful flight from West Asia."
Qatar: 'A blatant violation of our sovereignty'
The Qatari Foreign Ministry issued an official statement condemning the strike on Al Udeid Air Base, calling it "a blatant violation of Qatar's sovereignty, airspace, and international law." Qatar added that it reserves the right to respond to the Iranian attack.
According to the statement, there were no casualties or fatalities in the strike. "We emphasize that Qatar's airspace and territory are secure, and our armed forces remain on high alert. We urge citizens and residents to follow updates from official sources," it read.
Three Iranian sources familiar with the plans told reporters that Iran had coordinated the strikes on the US air base in Qatar with Qatari officials and provided advance warning to minimize casualties. They explained that Iran needed a symbolic response to the US, but also sought to create an off-ramp for all sides.
The sources described this as a strategy similar to the one Iran employed in 2020, when it gave Iraq advance notice before launching ballistic missiles at a US base in Iraq following the assassination of senior Iranian general Qassem Soleimani.
40,000 US troops in the region
The US has some 40,000 troops stationed at 19 locations across the Middle East, including both permanent and forward-operating bases. The largest concentrations of American forces are in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar is the largest US military installation in the Middle East, home to about 10,000 troops and 100 fighter jets, and serves as the headquarters of US Central Command (CENTCOM). In Bahrain, the US Navy's Fifth Fleet operates with approximately 9,000 personnel. Kuwait serves as CENTCOM's main logistics hub, while Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE focuses on intelligence gathering and houses F-22 stealth fighters.
