'Flagrant violation of sovereignty': Qatar says reserves right to respond after Iran's attack on US base

• Qatar says its air defences intercepted missiles.
• No casualties occurred as US base evacuated earlier: US official.
• Spox says dialogue only way to overcome current crisis.

DOHA: Qatar on Monday condemned Iran’s missile attack on US Al Udeid base hosted in the Gulf state, the largest American military facility in the region, as a "flagrant violation" of its sovereignty and international law, warning that it reserves the right to respond.

"We affirm that the State of Qatar reserves the right to respond directly in a manner proportional to the nature and scale of this blatant aggression," foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said in a statement following the attack.

The attack — described by Iran’s military as "devastating and powerful" — marked a major escalation in the widening conflict.

The strike followed threats from Tehran to retaliate for recent US airstrikes that targeted its underground nuclear facilities in Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz using 30,000-pound bunker buster bombs. The US had joined Israel’s ongoing military campaign against Iran after what it called a breach of international nuclear safeguards.

Qatar's defence minister, quoted by Al Jazeera TV, said its air defences had intercepted missiles directed at the Al Udeid airbase, with authorities confirming that no casualties occurred as the base had been evacuated earlier in line with heightened security protocols.

Iran's National Security Council confirmed it had attacked a major US military base in Qatar in retaliation for American strikes on its nuclear facilities, adding its response did not "pose any threat" to its Gulf neighbour.

"In response to the US aggressive and insolent action against Iran's nuclear sites and facilities, a few hours ago, the powerful armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran struck the US air base in Al-Udeid, Qatar," the council said.

It said that the number of missiles used "was the same as the number of bombs that the US had used in attacking Iran´s nuclear facilities", adding: "This action does not pose any threat to our friendly and brotherly country, Qatar."

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 following the US airstrikes on Iran.

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

The White House and the Defense Department are closely monitoring the situation, a senior White House official said in Washington on Monday.

Two US officials told Reuters that no US personnel were killed or injured in Iran's attack, adding that the attack was carried out by short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles.

Shortly before, Qatar, a small, wealthy Gulf Arab state, announced it had closed its air space 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, although the US was still seeking a diplomatic resolution that would see Tehran forgo any reprisal.

Earlier on Monday, Israel bombed a jail for political prisoners in Tehran in a potent demonstration that it was expanding its targets beyond military and nuclear sites to aim squarely at the pillars of Iran's ruling system.

Despite Iran's threats to challenge oil shipments from the Gulf, oil prices largely held steady LCOc1, 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.

'Brazen aggression'

In the statement, foreign ministry spokesman Al-Ansari affirmed that Qatar "reserves the right to respond directly in a manner equivalent with the nature and scale of this brazen aggression, in line with international law".

"We also [emphasise] that the continuation of such escalatory military actions will undermine security and stability in the region, dragging it into situations that could have catastrophic consequences for international peace and security," he added.

The spokesperson also called for the immediate cessation of all military actions and for a serious return to the negotiating table and dialogue.

Furthermore, he said, Qatar was one of the first countries to warn against the dangers of Israeli escalation in the region. "We have consistently called for diplomatic solutions to be prioritized and have stressed the importance of good-neighborliness and avoiding escalation," he added.

"We reaffirm that dialogue is the only way to overcome the current crises and ensure the security of the region and the peace of its people."