QATAR (TNND) — Iran fired missiles at U.S. military bases in Qatar on Monday in retaliation for the U.S. launching a series of strikes on three of Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani condemned the attack that targeted Al-Udeid Air Base, calling it “a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the State of Qatar, its airspace, international law, and the United Nations Charter.”
The prime minister added that the attack was “successfully thwarted” and the Iranian missiles were intercepted with no casualties.
Iran said the attack in Qatar matched the number of bombs dropped by the United States on its nuclear sites this weekend, signaling its likely desire to de-escalate.
The base that was targeted in the attack by the powerful Iranian forces was far from urban facilities and residential areas in Qatar,” Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said in a statement. “This action did not pose any threat to our friendly and brotherly country, Qatar, and its noble people.
President Donald Trump later described it as “a very weak response.” He took to Truth Social to share his thoughts.
Iran has officially responded to our Obliteration of their Nuclear Facilities with a very weak response, which we expected, and have very effectively countered,” Trump wrote late Monday afternoon.
There have been 14 missiles fired — 13 were knocked down, and 1 was ‘set free,’ because it was headed in a nonthreatening direction. I am pleased to report that NO Americans were harmed, and hardly any damage was done,” he noted. “Most importantly, they’ve gotten it all out of their ‘system,’ and there will, hopefully, be no further HATE. I want to thank Iran for giving us early notice, which made it possible for no lives to be lost, and nobody to be injured. Perhaps Iran can now proceed to Peace and Harmony in the Region, and I will enthusiastically encourage Israel to do the same. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
In a separate post, the president also wrote the following: “CONGRATULATIONS WORLD, IT’S TIME FOR PEACE!”
Trump was in the Situation Room with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine during the attack and reportedly knew about it, according to ABC News.
The Ain al-Assad base housing U.S. troops in western Iraq was also targeted, an Iraqi security official who was not authorized to comment publicly told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
But Iran did not claim credit for that attack, which could have been carried out by militias.
Shortly before the attack, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote on X that “We neither initiated the war nor seeking it. But we will not leave invasion to the great Iran without answer.”
The strikes follow the U.S. Embassy in Qatar telling American citizens to “shelter in place.” Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar is the largest U.S. base in the Middle East with around 8,000 troops.
“Out of an abundance of caution we recommend American citizens shelter in place until further notice,” the embassy said in a notice.
The State Department also issued a “Worldwide Caution Security Alert” on Sunday advising U.S. citizens overseas to “exercise increased caution.”
“The conflict between Israel and Iran has resulted in disruptions to travel and periodic closure of airspace across the Middle East,” the statement read. “There is the potential for demonstrations against U.S. citizens and interests abroad. The Department of State advises U.S. citizens worldwide to exercise increased caution.”
In response to Saturday’s strikes, Iran’s state media issued warnings, displaying a map of U.S. bases in the region and declaring that every American citizen and soldier is now a “legitimate target.” Iran’s foreign minister emphasized the potential for long-lasting consequences.
Top US officials urged Iran not to strike US military targets in retaliation. Vice President JD Vance said, “We’re not at war with Iran. We’re at war with Iran’s nuclear program.”
Economic retaliation is also a concern, with potential disruptions to the Strait of Hormuz threatening to spike oil prices.
A spokesperson for Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to the shelter in place order by stating that the “advisory from a number of embassies to their citizens do not reflect the existence of specific threats.”
“The security situation in the country is stable,” the statement continued. “The relevant authorities are closely monitoring the situation and are ready to take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of citizens, residents, and visitors.”
Earlier in the day, Israel expanded its war against Iran by targeting Evin Prison and the security headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Tehran.
An Israeli official familiar with the government’s strategy told The Associated Press that Israel is targeting these sites to put pressure on the Iranian administration but is not actively seeking to topple it. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal government deliberations.
Iran fired back at Israel with Operation “True Promise 3,” saying it was targeting the Israeli cities of Haifa and Tel Aviv, according to Iranian state television.
Iranian Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi, the chief of joint staff of armed forces, warned Washington that its strikes had given Iranian forces a “free hand “ to “act against U.S. interests and its army.”
