Qatar stated on Monday it stands ready to retaliate after Iranian strike on US bases in Doha, quoted Reuters. Iranian state media reported missiles were launched at US bases in Qatar, Iraq on Monday.
Qatar Rejects Iran’s Assurance of No Threat
Iran’s supreme security body said meanwhile the strikes “do not pose any threat to our friendly and brotherly neighbour Qatar.”
Qatar called the Iranian strike on the US base a ‘flagrant violation’ of sovereignty. The development marks a significant escalation in growing tensions between Iran and the United States following the recent US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites. Several missiles were fired at American bases on Qatari soil on Monday, shortly after the Gulf nation temporarily closed its airspace citing increased risks of Iranian retaliation over the Trump administration’s weekend attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Gulf State Targeted During Iran’s ‘Operation Basharat al-Fath’
The airspace closure triggered widespread speculation that Qatar was anticipating a military response from Iran. While Iran claimed its actions were directed solely at American military targets, the missile strike has drawn sharp condemnation from Qatari officials who labeled it as a violation of the Gulf state’s sovereignty.
Reports indicated missile were fired under ‘Operation Basharat al-Fath’, which a Reuters report rendered as ‘annunciation of victory’, on US bases in Iraq and Qatar.
Qatar Caught in Crossfire as Tensions Escalate
There was “imminent threat” of Iranian airstrikes on US base in Qatar, sources had informed Fox News on Monday.
The Gulf nation’s response signals a potential shift in regional dynamics. While Doha and Tehran have maintained relatively cordial relations, the incident puts pressure on the Gulf state to balance its diplomatic ties with Iran against its strategic security partnership with the United States.
The US on Saturday attacked three Iranian nuclear facilities Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan with bunker-buster bombs, with President Donald Trump requesting Iran to sign up for “end the war” after the “historic moment for the United States of America, Israel and the world.”.
