The conflict between Iran and the United States intensified dramatically on Monday following a series of missile attacks launched by Iran on American military installations in the Middle East.
The attack was a direct retaliation for U.S. airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities—Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan—carried out a day earlier.
Iran launched at least ten missiles at U.S. military targets in Qatar and one missile toward a U.S. base in Iraq, according to reports confirmed by regional defense officials.
The U.S. military maintains a major presence at Al Udeid Air Base, located near Doha, Qatar, which is the largest American military facility in the region and hosts over 8,000 personnel. Additionally, U.S. forces are stationed at Ain al-Asad Air Base in Iraq’s western Anbar Province.
The Iranian assault, which was officially dubbed “Operation Blessings of Victory,” was first reported by Iran’s Mehr News Agency. It marks one of the most serious escalations in U.S.-Iran tensions since the 2020 killing of IRGC General Qasem Soleimani.
Residents in Doha reported hearing loud explosions on Monday evening, a claim that was also confirmed by international news outlets, including Agence France-Presse and Reuters. The White House responded by stating that both it and the U.S. Department of Defense were closely monitoring potential threats to American personnel and facilities in the region.
“There is heightened awareness and concern for the safety of our assets at Al Udeid,” a senior White House official said, although no official damage assessments have been released at this time.
In a statement issued through the semi-official Tasnim News Agency, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) declared that the attack on Al Udeid was a “powerful and devastating missile strike.” The IRGC emphasized that the operation served as a “clear and explicit message” to the U.S. government.
“Iran will not tolerate any violation of its territorial integrity, sovereignty, or national security,” the statement read. “Any aggression against our homeland will be met with decisive and forceful retaliation.”
The government of Qatar quickly condemned the missile strike, asserting that its air defense systems had successfully intercepted the incoming projectiles. A spokesperson for the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Majed Al-Ansari, described the incident as a blatant act of aggression.
“We express the State of Qatar’s strong condemnation of the attack targeting Al Udeid Air Base by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard,” Al-Ansari said. “Qatar reserves the right to respond directly, in proportion to the nature and severity of this aggression, and in accordance with international law.”
The Interior Ministry of Bahrain, a neighboring Gulf country, also responded to the rising regional tension. In a public alert posted on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the ministry announced that siren systems had been activated and urged residents to stay calm and seek shelter in the nearest safe location. However, Bahraini authorities did not confirm whether their territory had been directly targeted or affected.
This latest confrontation follows the U.S. military’s targeted strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure on Sunday. Those attacks were personally authorized by President Donald Trump in what the White House described as a strategic intervention in the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict.
Tehran, in response, warned that the American action had “crossed a red line” and pledged severe consequences.
In a statement following his national address, President Trump reiterated his administration’s tough stance, warning Iran that: “ANY RETALIATION BY IRAN AGAINST THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WILL BE MET WITH FORCE FAR GREATER THAN WHAT WAS WITNESSED TONIGHT.”
This missile barrage represents the second-largest direct attack by Iran on American assets in the region since its 2020 missile strikes on U.S. bases in Iraq, which came in retaliation for the U.S.-ordered killing of General Soleimani.
As tensions mount, global attention is fixed on the Persian Gulf region, with fears of a broader conflict looming amid escalating hostilities between Tehran and Washington.