Iran has launched missile strikes on the United States forces at the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
The US bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities prompted the missile attacks in response.
“The operation of Iranian missiles against American bases located in Qatar and in Iraq has begun, and is called ‘Blessing of Victory’,” the official press agency IRNA said.
It was reported that explosions were heard in Doha, the capital of Qatar, home to the largest US base in the region.
But Qatar said it had successfully intercepted an Iranian missile attack on the largest US military facility in the Middle East.
“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 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement on Monday.
The largest US military facility in the Middle East is the base that was targeted.
In addition to housing the longest aviation landing strip in the Gulf, the facility acts as the US military’s headquarters and supply centre in Iraq.
The base is also traversed by British forces.
President Donald Trump visited the facility last month.
Trump was the only leader to visit since 2003.
Qatar’s defence ministry said its air defences “successfully” intercepted a missile attack targeting the Al Udeid air base.
According to the secretariat of the country’s highest national security council, Iran employed the same number of missiles to target the US air base as the US used to attack Iranian nuclear installations.
In a statement, the council noted that while Iran “shattered” the US air base in Qatar, the attack in no way “presents any danger to Qatar or its people”.
The statement added that Iran “remains committed to maintaining and continuing its warm and historic relations” with Qatar.
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However, Qatar said Iran’s attacks were “a flagrant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and airspace”.
Majed Al-Ansari, a 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 line with international law.
Kristi Noem, US homeland security secretary, said no new threats from Iran have been recorded since the retaliatory strikes.
Trump was allegedly keeping an eye on any Iranian reprisal in a situation room with Pete Hegseth, the defence secretary and other security officers.
