‘We Won’t Let Aggression Go Unanswered’: Iran Fires Missiles at US Bases
Iran launched a series of missile attacks on US military bases in Qatar and Iraq late Monday, escalating the confrontation sparked by American and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. The primary target was Al Udeid Air Base near Doha, the largest US military installation in the Middle East and the forward headquarters of US Central Command. Another missile was aimed at the Ain al-Asad base in western Iraq.
We affirm that Qatar reserves the right to respond directly in a manner equivalent with the nature and scale of this brazen aggression
Qatar, which has long maintained relations with both the United States and Iran, said its air defenses successfully intercepted the missiles and reported no casualties. “We affirm that Qatar reserves the right to respond directly in a manner equivalent with the nature and scale of this brazen aggression,” said Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari. The country temporarily closed its airspace and advised residents to shelter in place.
The United Arab Emirates also shut down its airspace in response to rising tensions, forcing dozens of international flights to divert or turn back. The UAE, which hosts US forces at Al Dhafra Air Base near Abu Dhabi, placed its military facilities on high alert, though no strikes were reported on Emirati territory.
In Bahrain, home to the US Navy’s 5th Fleet, air raid sirens were heard in the capital, Manama, though no direct missile strikes occurred. The Bahraini government condemned Iran’s actions and reiterated its support for regional stability and the protection of American military personnel stationed in the kingdom.
The attacks were launched in retaliation for US airstrikes over the weekend on three Iranian nuclear facilities, including Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan. President Donald Trump ordered the strikes, describing Iran’s nuclear program as “totally obliterated.” Pentagon officials said the operation involved B-2 bombers dropping 30,000-pound massive ordnance penetrator bombs and submarine-launched Tomahawk missiles. While severe damage was reported, Fordo’s fortified underground infrastructure may not have been destroyed in the strike.
Iran’s response came after Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who called the American and Israeli strikes “absolutely unprovoked aggression.” But Moscow stopped short of pledging direct support to Tehran.
State television in Iran labeled its missile launch “a mighty and successful response” and aired patriotic music over images of missiles firing into the night. Iranian officials said they provided advance warning to Qatari authorities to avoid civilian casualties—an approach reminiscent of Tehran’s 2020 response to the killing of Gen. Qasem Soleimani, when Iraq was tipped off before missile strikes on US troops.
Iran’s armed forces released a statement confirming the attacks: “We targeted the Al Udeid base in Qatar with destructive and forceful missiles.” The Supreme National Security Council later claimed that the number of missiles launched matched the number of bombs used in the US strike on Saturday.
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We neither began the war, nor did we ask for it; but we won’t let the aggression against the great Iran go unanswered
President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote on X, “We neither began the war, nor did we ask for it; but we won’t let the aggression against the great Iran go unanswered.” The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps called Al Udeid “the largest strategic asset of the US terrorist army in West Asia” and said Iran would respond to any future attacks on its sovereignty.
Footage shared online showed air defense interceptors lighting up the night sky over Doha, and loud booms were reported throughout the capital. British, American, and Chinese embassies warned citizens to shelter in place. In Manama, the US Embassy issued similar advisories to Americans in Bahrain.
Though the missiles landed without confirmed casualties, the incident deepened concern about a broader regional war. The Israeli military, which has carried out nearly two weeks of strikes on Iranian targets, said on Monday it hit a Revolutionary Guard headquarters, roads around the Fordo site, and the gates of Evin Prison, a facility known for detaining political prisoners and foreign nationals. In a warning on X, Israeli officials said strikes on “military targets in the Tehran region” would continue.
The Iranian dictator will be punished with full force for attacking the Israeli homefront
“The Iranian dictator will be punished with full force for attacking the Israeli homefront,” Israel’s Defense Ministry said in a statement. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Israel was “very, very close” to achieving its war aims but gave no timeline for an end to the campaign.
Inside Iran, there was confusion over the scale of damage. While President Trump declared the nuclear program had been “obliterated,” US officials privately admitted they were unsure about the fate of Iran’s enriched uranium. Iran insists its program remains peaceful. Spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran said nuclear material was removed from the facilities before the US strikes, and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi confirmed that Iran had declared its intention to move sensitive equipment and uranium to undisclosed locations.
Grossi warned that “violence and destruction could reach unimaginable levels” if the warring parties did not seek a diplomatic solution. The IAEA held an emergency meeting in Vienna on Monday to assess the situation.
Iran’s missile strikes did not stop with Qatar and Iraq. State media described a fresh wave of attacks under “Operation True Promise 3,” targeting the Israeli cities of Tel Aviv and Haifa. Air raid sirens sounded in Jerusalem as well, though no casualties were reported. Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency service said the strikes caused no injuries, but over the past 11 days of conflict, more than 1,000 Israelis have been wounded and 24 killed.
The Iranian human rights group HRANA reported nearly 950 deaths from Israeli airstrikes across Iran, including at least 380 civilians and 253 members of security forces.
At the White House, President Trump met with his national security team, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine. “Any retaliation will be met with force far greater than what was witnessed,” the president warned earlier. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later clarified that the president’s musings about regime change in Iran were “simply raising a question,” not a policy shift.
Still, Iranian officials reacted strongly. Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi, chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces, declared that US strikes had given Iran a “free hand” to act against American interests. He labeled the bombings as tantamount to an invasion.
Iran’s leadership, deeply embedded in its Revolutionary Guard hierarchy and bound to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has rejected negotiations for now. The escalation has also cast a shadow over the already-faltering 2015 nuclear deal, which President Trump abandoned in his first term. Since then, Iran has enriched uranium up to 60%, a small step from weapons-grade levels, while curtailing inspector access.
Qatar, which has often served as an intermediary in regional diplomacy, condemned the attack on its territory and reiterated calls for all parties to return to negotiations. “The use of Qatar’s territory for hostilities by any side is unacceptable,” the Foreign Ministry said. Al Udeid, which houses about 10,000 US personnel, was already on high alert before the Iranian strike.
International airlines scrambled to reroute planes and cancel flights through Gulf airspace, with Flightradar24 reporting dozens of aircraft forced to turn around mid-flight. British evacuation flights began operating from Tel Aviv, while commercial travel out of Israel, Bahrain, the UAE, and Qatar remained limited.
As tensions simmer, the region braces for what comes next. While Israel and the US have said they are not seeking regime change, the scale of the strikes and the intensity of Iran’s response suggest neither side is ready to de-escalate. Whether the war spreads further across the region or is contained to Iran and its immediate rivals will likely depend on what happens in the next few days.
