Iran on Monday launched missiles aimed at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest American military installation in the Middle East. The attack is seen as Iran’s first direct response to the weekend US airstrikes that hit three Iranian nuclear sites.
“We reassure that Qatar’s air defenses successfully thwarted the attack and intercepted the Iranian missiles. A detailed statement regarding the circumstances of the attack will be issued later by the Ministry of Defense,” Qatar government spokesperson Dr. Majed Al Ansari said in a statement.
The videos of the missile attack being intercepted mid-air has surfaced on the social media. The videos show air defence systems in action amid the incoming missiles in Qatar.
Footage of a US Army Patriot PAC-3 MSE interceptor crashing into an Iranian ballistic missile over Qatar tonight. pic.twitter.com/bggYgj2WxG
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) June 23, 2025
A senior White House official confirmed the US had advance intelligence of the potential strike, The New York Times reported. An Israeli official also stated that Iran had been preparing to target the base, which serves as the headquarters for US Central Command.
Earlier on Monday, Israel intensified its own bombing campaign against Tehran, with officials vowing more strikes in the coming days.
Explosions were heard over Doha, Qatar’s capital, shortly after the missile launches, according to eyewitness accounts cited by Reuters and AFP. As tensions soared, Qatar temporarily closed its airspace and both US and British embassies in Doha issued urgent advisories for citizens to shelter in place, citing a “heightened security threat”.
The sudden alerts rippled across the city, with schools, universities and offices quickly instructing people to stay indoors. Al Udeid was long considered a likely target if Iran opted to retaliate against US military assets in the region.