DOHA: Iran launched a limited missile attack Monday on a US military base in Qatar, retaliating for the American bombing of its nuclear sites but indicating it was prepared to step back from escalating tensions in the volatile region.
There were no US casualties, President Donald Trump said, as he dismissed the attack as a “very weak response” and said the US was warned by Iran in advance.
“Most importantly, they’ve gotten it all out of their ‘system,’ and there will, hopefully, be no further HATE,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
Qatar condemned the attack on Al Udeid Air Base attack, but said it successfully intercepted the short- and medium-range ballistic missiles.
Iran said the volley matched the number of bombs dropped by the United States on Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend. Iran also said it targeted the base because it was outside of populated areas.
Those comments, made immediately after the attack, suggested Iran wanted to de-escalate with the United States, something Trump himself said after the strikes early Sunday on Iran.
Trump said that Iran might be able to “now proceed to Peace and Harmony” and said he would encourage Israel to do the same.
Qatar said it “successfully intercepted” missiles targeting the US base, and added it reserved the right to respond directly and in accordance with international law following the strikes.
It said it condemned the attack, calling it a “flagrant violation” of its sovereignty.
“We express the State of Qatar’s strong condemnation of the attack on Al-Udeid Air Base by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, and consider it a flagrant violation of the State of Qatar’s sovereignty and airspace, as well as of international law,” foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari said in a statement.
*** READ SAUDI ARABIA'S CONDEMNATION HERE ***
The Gulf nation had announced earlier Monday it had closed its air space temporarily to ensure the safety of residents and visitors. Also on Monday, the US embassy in Qatar had advised Americans to shelter in place, out of what it said was “an abundance of caution.”
“The White House and the Department of Defense are aware of, and closely monitoring, potential threats to Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar,” a senior White House official said.
Bahrain said sirens sounded in Manama with citizens and residents were urged to remain calm and head to nearest safe place, according to the Interior Ministry.
The interior ministry affirmed that these measures were part of Bahrain’s proactive efforts to safeguard public safety and ensure efficient emergency response.
Bahrain also suspended air traffic temporarily on Monday.
“The Civil Aviation Affairs of the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications announced the temporary suspension of air navigation in the skies of the Kingdom of Bahrain as a precautionary measure in light of recent regional developments,” said a statement carried by the official Bahrain News Agency.
Kuwait Airways, in a post on X, said departure flights had been suspended due to the regional developments.
EgyptAir also announced on Monday the suspension of flights to and from countries in the region following the attacks.
EgyptAir said in a statement: “Due to the events taking place in the region and the closure of airspace in a number of countries in the Arabian Gulf region, it has been decided to cancel EgyptAir flights from Cairo Airport to cities in the Arabian Gulf and vice versa until the situation in the region stabilizes.”
Kuwait's civil aviation body issued a statement, saying: “The country's airspace has been temporarily closed as a precautionary measure, starting today and until further notice. The decision comes within the framework of maintaining the highest levels of safety and security in light of regional developments.”
The UAE said it was closely monitoring the ongoing regional developments and was continuously assessing the situation, a government spokesperson said.
“This approach froms part of the UAE's interegrated national framework for emergency and crisis management, which prioritizses public safety and the continuity of operations across all sectors,” the spokesperson added.
The airspaces of several countries in the region had all reopened by the earlier hours of Tuesday.
