Iran fires missiles at US airbase in Qatar in retaliatory strike

Doha/Istanbul/Tel Aviv — Iran’s military said it carried out a missile attack on the Al Udeid US airbase in Qatar on Monday after explosions were heard across the Qatari capital after Tehran’s threat to retaliate for US air strikes on its nuclear sites.

The Iranian military said the attack was “devastating and powerful” but US officials said no US personnel were killed or injured in the attack on the airbase, the largest US military installation in the Middle East.

Iran, which had been warned by Washington not to retaliate or face huge US military action, had informed the US via two diplomatic channels hours ahead of the attack, as well as Qatari authorities, a senior regional source told Reuters.

Qatar’s defence minister told Al Jazeera its air defences had intercepted missiles directed at the Al Udeid airbase, the largest US military installation in the Middle East.

Iran had issued threats to retaliate against the US after US bombers dropped 13,600kg bunker-busters on Iranian underground nuclear facilities at the weekend, joining Israel's air war against Tehran, and US President Donald Trump mooted the possibility of the Iranian government being toppled.

The attack came shortly after a Western diplomat told Reuters there had been a credible threat to a US military base in the Gulf state after the unprecedented US air strikes on Iran's uranium enrichment programme.

A source familiar with the matter told Reuters that Qatar, situated just across the Gulf from Iran, had shut its airspace after receiving the advance warning from Iran.

Bahrain, another US-allied Gulf Arab state just to the north of Qatar, said it had also shut its airspace after the Iranian strike against the Al Udeid base.

In addition, the US Ain al-Asad airbase in Iraq had activated its air defence system out of concern for a potential attack, military sources said.

The main US military base in Iraq's western neighbour Syria was also on full alert for possible attack by Iran or Iran-aligned militia groups, a Syrian security source said.

Qatar, a small, wealthy Gulf Arab state, had earlier announced it had closed its airspace temporarily to ensure the safety of residents and visitors. That followed an advisory from the US embassy in Qatar to Americans to shelter in place, out of what it said was “an abundance of caution”.

Two US officials said Washington had assessed that Iran could carry out attacks targeting American forces in the Middle East soon, though the US was still seeking a diplomatic resolution that would see Tehran forgo any reprisal.

Oil prices slipped more than $3, or 4%, on Monday after Iran's attack on the US military base in Qatar but took no action to disrupt oil and gas tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

Brent crude futures were down $2.91, or 3.8%, at $74.09 a barrel 7.13pm GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) eased $2.8, or 3.8%, to $71.06.

Earlier on Monday, Israel bombed a political prison in Tehran, in a renewed demonstration of its willingness to strike not only beyond military and nuclear targets but key pillars of Iran's ruling system.

Despite Iran’s threats to challenge oil shipments from the Gulf, oil prices fell 4% in volatile trading, suggesting traders doubted the Islamic Republic would follow through on any action that would disrupt global supplies.

Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow as Tehran sought backing from one of its last major power friends for its next steps.

Israel made clear that its strikes on Evin prison and other targets in Tehran were intended to hit the Iranian ruling apparatus broadly, and its ability to sustain power.

Iran’s IRIB state broadcaster released video showing rescue workers combing the flattened wreckage of a building at the prison, carrying a wounded man on a stretcher. The Mizan news outlet of Iran's judiciary said urgent action was being taken to protect the health and safety of inmates there.

Evin has long been Iran’s primary prison for housing political detainees and security prisoners, as well as the site of executions that remain strong memories for the opposition. Several high-profile foreign prisoners are also held there.

Israel’s military said it had also struck Revolutionary Guard command centres responsible for internal security in the Tehran area.

The military was “currently striking, with unprecedented force, regime targets and governmental repression bodies in the heart of Tehran”, defence minister Israel Katz said in a statement.

Much of Tehran’s population of 10-million has fled after 10 days of bombing. Tasnim news agency reported a strike at an electricity feeder station in the Evin neighbourhood. Power company Tavanir reported some areas in the capital saw electricity cuts.

Reuters