DOHA, Qatar — Iran has launched missile strikes against United States forces stationed at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, in what it described as a “powerful and destructive” response to recent American strikes on its nuclear infrastructure.
In a statement issued on Monday, June 23, 2025, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared, “The Islamic Republic of Iran, relying on Almighty God and the faithful, proud people of Iran, will never leave any aggression against its territorial integrity, sovereignty, or national security unanswered.”
The Al Udeid facility, located southwest of Doha, is the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East.
It serves as the central hub for American operations in Iraq and houses the Gulf region’s longest air landing strip.
British forces are also periodically stationed at the site as part of ongoing defence cooperation.
The attack marks a dramatic escalation in tensions between Tehran and Washington.
According to Iran’s supreme national security council, the number of missiles launched corresponded exactly to the number of bombs the United States allegedly used in its earlier assault on Iranian nuclear sites.
In a statement following the launch, the council emphasised that while Iran had “shattered” the U.S. facility in Qatar, the operation did not “present any danger to Qatar or its people”.
The council added that Iran “remains committed to maintaining and continuing its warm and historic relations” with the Gulf state.
However, Qatari officials swiftly condemned the action. The country’s defence ministry claimed that its air defences had “successfully” intercepted incoming missiles targeting the base.
In a sharply worded statement, Doha labelled the strikes “a flagrant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and airspace”.
Majed Al-Ansari, spokesperson for the Qatari foreign ministry, said, “The state reserves the right to respond directly, proportionate to the nature and scale of this blatant aggression and in accordance with international law.”
Back in Washington, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated there had been no intelligence indicating new threats from Iran following the missile strikes.
President Donald Trump, who visited Al Udeid only last month — the first U.S. president to do so since 2003 — was reportedly monitoring the situation from a secure operations room alongside Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and senior national security officials.
