Explosions have been heard in Qatar on Monday as witnesses mentioned they noticed what gave the impression to be missiles over the nation, The Related Press studies.
Iranian state media introduced an operation launching missile assaults towards U.S. bases in Iraq and Qatar, named “Annunciation of Victory.” The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps mentioned it focused the U.S. base at Al-Udeid in Qatar with a “devastating and powerful missile.”
The Qatari authorities confirmed the strike and mentioned its air defenses “thwarted the attack and successfully intercepted the Iranian missiles.” The nation’s protection ministry mentioned there have been no accidents.
“The State of Qatar strongly condemns the attack that targeted Al-Udeid Air Base by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. We consider this a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the State of Qatar, its airspace, international law, and the United Nations Charter,” a spokesperson for the Qatari Ministry of Overseas Affairs mentioned in an announcement shared to social media. “We affirm that Qatar reserves the right to respond directly in a manner equivalent with the nature and scale of this brazen aggression, in line with international law.”
A senior White Home official mentioned the White Home and the Division of Protection are conscious of, and intently monitoring, potential threats to Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, which serves because the ahead headquarters for CENTCOM. About 10,000 U.S. troops are primarily based there and are sheltering in place.
Air raid sirens additionally sounded in Bahrain, which is residence to a Naval set up referred to as Naval Help Exercise Bahrain. An estimated 9,000 service members are stationed there. Bahrain’s Ministry of Inside urged folks to “remain calm and head to the nearest safe place,” including that they need to “seek shelter in the nearest building or take cover in a safe, enclosed area until the danger has passed.”
U.S. and Qatari officers had conferences over the weekend and Monday morning to organize for this assault, in keeping with diplomatic sources, who mentioned the retaliation was anticipated and calibrated.
The U.S. has about 45,000 navy personnel, quite a few bases and air and naval fleets that it might deploy throughout the Center East.
Omar Zaghloul/Anadolu by way of Getty Photos
Earlier Monday, the U.S. Embassy in Qatar warned Individuals to shelter in place “until further notice,” and Qatar’s overseas ministry mentioned the nation was closing its airspace “to ensure the safety of citizens, residents, and visitors.”
The U.S. bombed three Iranian nuclear websites over the weekend. It got here after greater than every week of Israeli assaults on Iranian targets and Iranian strikes on Israel.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps mentioned Sunday that the U.S. had “practically placed itself at the forefront of aggression by directly attacking peaceful facilities.” It alluded to plans to assault U.S. property within the Center East, saying “the number, dispersion, and size of U.S. military bases in the region are not a strength, but have doubled their vulnerability.”
It is a growing story. Please test again for updates.
Margaret Brennan,
Eleanor Watson,
Justine Redman,
Melissa Quinn and
Sara Cook dinner
contributed to this report.
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