Iran Launches Missiles at U.S Airbase in Qatar in Retaliation for Weekend Strike on Nuclear Facilities

Latest Developments

• Iran Attacks U.S. Base: Iran launched several short and medium-range ballistic missiles on June 23 at the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East. Initial reports indicated that no U.S. troops were injured in the barrage, which came in retaliation for the United States’ June 21 strikes against three of Iran’s key nuclear sites. The Qatari Ministry of Defense claimed that its air defenses had “successfully” intercepted the attack.
• ‘No Attack Unanswered’: The attack was confirmed by both Iranian state media and the country’s military. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) released a statement saying that “Iran will not leave any attack on its sovereignty unanswered,” adding that “U.S. bases in the region are not strengths but vulnerabilities.” Tehran further claimed that the attack was “devastating and powerful” despite reports that most, if not all, of its missiles were successfully intercepted.
• Trump Says Iran Gave Pre-Warning: Commenting on the missile barrage, President Donald Trump said that Iran had reportedly provided advanced notice of the attack, in a possible effort to deliver a symbolic response to the United States without risking American retaliation. Trump then urged Iran to “proceed with peace and harmony in the region,” expressing hope that with the attack on Al Udeid, the Islamic Republic had “gotten it all out of their ‘system.’” Qatar’s Foreign Ministry condemned the missile launches along with several other Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman.

FDD Expert Response

“Khamenei has the choice he’s always had: agree to a deal at the negotiations in Oman that fully and permanently dismantles his nuclear weapons program and strategic missile capabilities or watch the United States and Israel continue to destroy them inside Iran.” — Mark Dubowitz, CEO

“To recap: as Iran started issuing threats, the U.S. government advised American citizens in Qatar to shelter in place, effectively instructing them to stay put within the vicinity of Hamas’s Doha headquarters. Hours later, Iran fired six missiles at Al Udeid Air Base — the largest U.S. military base in the region, located southwest of Doha. Compounding the irony is that Iran and Qatar both sponsor Hamas and are developing a friendship of their own. The folly of U.S. policy toward Qatar couldn’t be more obvious.” — Natalie Ecanow, Senior Research Analyst

“President Trump warned Tehran not to respond to the strikes on its nuclear program. The regime shrugged and then launched several ballistic missiles at the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East. If it were not for missile defense systems, these strikes would have killed many Americans. If we permit Tehran to attack U.S. service members and bases without consequence, we should expect more such attacks in the future.” — Bradley Bowman, Senior Director of FDD’s Center on Military and Political Power

FDD Background and Analysis

“US dealt Iran’s nukes a major blow — but here’s why the cheers may be premature,” by Mark Dubowitz and Ben Cohen

“Concern Over Escalation, Recognition of Iranian Nuclear Threat Dominate World Reaction to U.S. Strikes,” FDD Flash Brief

“Iran Launches Dozens of Missiles at Israeli Civilians After U.S. Strikes on Nuclear Facilities,” FDD Flash Brief

“US strike inflicts ‘severe damage and destruction’ on 3 Iranian nuclear facilities, CJCS Caine states,” by Bill Roggio

“The Consequences of US Weakness in Iraq and Syria,” by Bradley Bowman and Cameron McMillan