Explosions were heard over Doha, Qatar after Iran announced Monday it has launched an attack on U.S. forces stationed at the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. The U.S. Embassy in Qatar had told Americans to shelter in place until further notice.
Fox News reports that Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Dan Caine and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were in the Situation Room monitoring potential Iranian retaliation as news of the explosions broke. Qatari Foreign Minister condemned the Iranian attack against the U.S. Air Base.
Iranian state media announced that the military response had begun, naming the attack “Operation Fatah’s Blessing.” Additionally, officials made the announcement on state television as martial music played. A caption on screen called it “a mighty and successful response by the armed forces of Iran to America’s aggression.”
Qatar also temporarily closed its airspace after the U.S. attacks on Iran over the weekend. “The competent Qatari authorities announce the temporary suspension of air traffic in the country’s airspace, in order to ensure the safety of citizens, residents, and visitors,” Qatar’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
The Iranian strike involved at least six missiles and came after Qatar announced the closure of its air space on Monday, with top Iranian officials vowing consequences for President Donald Trump’s weekend strike on the nation’s nuclear program.
The statement said it would “not hesitate to take all necessary preventive measures within this context.”
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A senior White House official says both the White House and the Pentagon are monitoring threats against Al Udeid Air Base, which is located in Qatar and is America’s largest military base in the Middle East.
According to Fox News, the base is home to 10,000 American forces and is the U.S.’s largest military installation in the Middle East. Located southwest of Doha, it serves as a hub for logistical operations for the U.S. mission to fight ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
It also hosts Central Command’s (CENTCOM) Forward Headquarters, as well as its air forces and special operations in the region. It also has been used as a headquarters for British involvement in airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq.
President Donald Trump visited Al Udeid just recently on May 15, where he inked a $1 billion military sales agreement with Doha.