No casualties reported after Iran missile attack on U.S. base in Qatar
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Iran launched multiple missiles against an American military base in Qatar on Monday in retaliation for the U.S. strike on its nuclear facilities this weekend.
- No casualties were reported, and both Qatar and the Trump administration were made aware of the Iranian attack ahead of the time, sources tell Axios.
Why it matters: It's unclear if the attack on Al Udeid Air Base marked the full extent of Iran's retaliation. Three hours after the attack, President Trump issued a statement thanking Iran for giving "early notice" for what he called a "very weak" missile attack.
- The president had previously warned that any retaliation would be met with "force far greater than what was witnessed" during the U.S. military attack against three Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend.
- But a White House official told Axios that Trump's goal now is to end the war, and he plans to make that clear to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "We want a deal and don't want any more war," the official said.
The latest: A total of 14 Iranian missiles were intercepted by Qatari air defenses, according to a source familiar with the matter.
- One missile struck a building near the Al Udeid base, but there were no casualties and no damage inflicted to military infrastructure, the source said.
- "I can confirm that Al Udeid Air Base was attacked by short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles originating from Iran today. At this time, there are no reports of U.S. casualties," a U.S. defense official told Axios.
- Though sirens and closures of air space were reported in Iraq, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, the U.S. base in Qatar appeared to be the only site targeted by Iran's missiles.
What they're saying: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayotallah Ali Khamenei posted an image of a burning American flag on X after the Iranian attack, writing: "We will not surrender to anyone's aggression. This is the logic of the Iranian nation."
- Iran's Supreme National Security Council released a statement earlier claiming the number of missiles fired at Qatar was equal to the number of bombs the U.S. used in its strike on Saturday — signaling a 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," the statement said.
- "This action did not pose any threat to our friendly and brotherly country, Qatar, and its noble people."
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also released a statement claiming it had launched a "devastating and powerful missile attack" against Al Udeid.
- "This base is the headquarters of the Air Force and the largest strategic asset of the US terrorist army in the West Asia region," the IRGC statement said.
- Iran "will not leave any attack on its territorial integrity, sovereignty, and national security unanswered under any circumstances," the statement stressed.
The Foreign Ministry of Qatar issued a statement saying Qatari air defenses "thwarted the attack and successfully intercepted the Iranian missiles," with no injuries or deaths reported.
- Qatar, which frequently acts as an intermediary for diplomatic talks in the region, strongly condemned the Iranian attack and called for a return to the negotiating table.
- The lengthy statement was published minutes after the attack and seemed to be prepared in advance.
State of play: Qatar reopened its airspace at around 5pm ET, approximately four hours after the Iranian missile attack.
- The U.S. embassy in Doha also lifted its shelter-in-place order.
- The embassy will reopen Tuesday, and consular services will continue without interruption, according to a notice on its website.
