Iranian authorities announced the start of attacks on United States bases in Qatar as retaliation for the bombing launched on Sunday morning on Iranian nuclear facilities, according to the official television.
This attack, from which no details have emerged, has already left explosions that could be heard in the Qatari capital, as reported by the Al Jazeera network.
How many military personnel does the United States base in Qatar have?
According to The New York Times, a series of loud explosions were heard in Doha, the Qatari capital, which were believed to be from the missile defense system, and some debris could be seen falling to the ground.
Qatar stated that its air defenses, through Majed Al Ansari, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that the country “reserves the right to respond directly in a manner equivalent to the nature and magnitude of this brazen aggression, in accordance with international law.”.
However, according to information from The New York Times, Iranian authorities warned their Qatari counterparts of the attack to avoid casualties and indicated that they “needed” to respond symbolically.
Qatar is home to Al Udeid Air Base, built in 1996 and headquarters of the United States Central Command, which directs operations from Egypt to Kazakhstan. It is the largest in terms of personnel of all the bases that the United States has spread throughout the region, with around 10,000 troops.
The Al Udeid base, located in the desert near Doha, is heavily fortified with anti-air defenses on alert against a potential Iranian retaliation attack.
Also, according to press reports, sirens were heard in Bahrain, a neighboring country of Qatar and where the Fifth Naval Fleet of the United States is located.
After attacking three nuclear facilities on Sunday, with bombs dropped by B-2 airplanes and missiles launched from a submarine, Donald Trump had warned Iran to return to the negotiating table and not attack American soldiers in the region. The President of the United States warned of a strong response in case any of its bases were attacked.
Iran’s response comes hours after the meeting of Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Moscow with Vladimir Putin. The Russian president described the US attack as “an absolutely unprovoked aggression against Iran, which has no basis or justification.”
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