Iran late Monday launched a retaliatory strike against US forces stationed at Qatar’s Al Udeid Airbase, America’s largest military installation in the Middle East, responding to a recent US attack on Iranian nuclear facilities.Loud explosions were reported across Doha and Lusail, with missiles seen streaking across the night sky. In the immediate aftermath, Qatar shut down its airspace as a precaution. A video from a Doha shopping mall showed scenes of panic, with people, including women and children, rushing to safety amid the chaos.Iran’s Supreme National Security Council stated that its military used the same number of bombs as the US did in its strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. Tehran claimed it deliberately targeted areas away from Qatar’s urban centers, stressing that the operation posed no threat to its “friendly and brotherly” neighbour.The missile barrage, dubbed “Annunciation of Victory” by Iran’s Tasnim news agency, was part of a wider retaliation that also included strikes on US bases in Iraq, according to a security source cited by the Associated Press.The latest escalation followed Israeli strikes under Operation Rising Lion, which targeted Iran’s key nuclear facilities in Natanz. The US later joined the offensive, hitting three major sites: Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan.However, US President Donald Trump later announced a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran.
