New Delhi: Iran Monday launched retaliatory strikes at US military installations in Qatar, specifically the Al-Udeid Airbase as a part of its operation Herald of Victory. The launch of missiles came after the US hit three Iranian nuclear facilities—Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan—late Saturday evening.
The American air defence system is reported to have been activated at the Ain Al-Assad Airbase in Western Iraq as well, according to the semi-official Iranian news agency Mehr News. Explosions were heard over the Qatari capital city of Doha late Monday evening, according to Reuters.
According to Iranian media, the Iranian operation has been code named Herald of Victory. Iran’s escalatory strikes came within hours of Qatar closing its airspace as a precautionary measure.
The Indian embassy in Qatar has urged its nationals to remain calm, stay indoors and “follow local news”.
In Qatar, the Iranian armed forces targeted the Al-Udeid Airbase, according to a statement from the Iranian armed forces.
“This base serves as the headquarters of the U.S. Air Force’s Central Command and is the largest strategic asset of the terrorist U.S. military in West Asia…The Islamic Republic of Iran, relying on Almighty God and the faithful and renowned people of Islamic Iran, will never leave any aggression against its territorial integrity, sovereignty, or national security unanswered,” the Iranian armed forces said in the statement.
The statement added, “The U.S. aggression has made it clear to all that Zionist hostilities are an extension of American designs. Accordingly, we remind that in this national defense, U.S. military bases and mobile targets in the region are not points of strength, but rather major vulnerabilities and the Achilles’ heel of this warmongering regime.”
Qatar’s Ministry of Defence announced its air defences “successfully intercepted a missile attack” targeting the Al-Udeid Airbase. “Thanks to God, the vigilance of the armed forces, and the precautionary measures taken, the incident did not result in any deaths or injuries,” it said in a statement posted on X.
— وزارة الدفاع – دولة قطر (@MOD_Qatar) June 23, 2025
Majed Al Ansari, the spokesperson for Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, strongly condemned the attack and said his country reserves the right to respond directly in a :manner equivalent with the nature and scale of this brazen aggression”.
On 21 June, the US struck the three nuclear facilities of Iran at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. It used its bunker-buster bombs at the uranium enrichment facilities at Fordow and Natanz, while cruise missiles were used at Isfahan, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said in a statement Monday.
President Donald Trump declared that the US military strike “completely and fully obliterated” Iran’s nuclear programme. With the attack, the US joined the ongoing Israeli military action which began 13 June. Under its Operation Rising Lion, Israel stuck at Iran’s nuclear facilities and has killed at least 10 Iranian generals.
In retaliation to Israel’s strikes, Iran launched Operation True Promise 3, launching ballistic missiles at the West Asian nation.
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. We affirm that…
— د. ماجد محمد الأنصاري Dr. Majed Al Ansari (@majedalansari) June 23, 2025
On Sunday, the Iranian Parliament called for the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the global energy choke point. While the decision is yet to be made at the highest levels, any attempt to close or disrupt the oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz has the potential to impact 20 percent of the global supply of liquid petroleum.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
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