Iran’s military said Monday it fired a “devastating and powerful” volley of missiles at Al-Udeid Air Base, the largest U.S. installation in the Middle East, after vowing to avenge American bunker-buster strikes on Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend.
Residents of Doha heard a series of blasts around 6 p.m. local time. Qatar’s defense minister told Al Jazeera that air-defense batteries shot down the incoming missiles and that no injuries were reported. Authorities briefly closed the Gulf state’s airspace “to protect residents and visitors,” while the U.S. Embassy urged Americans to shelter in place.
The strike is the first direct Iranian attack on U.S. forces since Washington joined Israel’s air campaign against Tehran. U.S. officials said other bases, including Ain al-Asad in Iraq, had activated air-defense systems amid concerns of further retaliation.
Qatar condemned the attack and said it “reserves the right to respond.” In Washington, the White House said President Joe Biden was monitoring the situation and that the Pentagon was “closely tracking” threats to U.S. personnel.
Earlier Monday, a Western diplomat warned of a credible threat against U.S. facilities in the Gulf following the American strikes on three underground nuclear sites. Israel also widened its own targeting, bombing a political-prison complex in Tehran.
Despite Iranian threats to disrupt Gulf oil shipping, international crude prices were little changed, reflecting traders’ doubts that Tehran would curb exports through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow to seek support from one of Tehran’s few remaining major partners.
