Iran launched a missile barrage at a U.S. military installation in Qatar on Monday in what it described as retaliation for the U.S. airstrikes over the weekend that struck Iranian nuclear facilities. President Trump dismissed the action as weak and ineffective, calling it “very weak” in a social media post.
“CONGRATULATIONS WORLD, IT’S TIME FOR PEACE!” Trump proclaimed on Truth Social after the Iranian attack failed to inflict serious damage.
Reports indicated that Tehran had signaled its intentions in advance to Qatar, and 13 out of 14 missiles were intercepted mid-air before impact. Footage captured the projectiles being destroyed by Qatari air defenses over the Persian Gulf.
Later, Qatari authorities said that a total of 19 missiles were actually launched toward Al Udeid Air Base. One managed to hit the facility, but no injuries were reported.
Analysts say the restrained nature of the attack suggests Iran may be running low on its missile reserves and is possibly exploring a way to de-escalate tensions with Washington.
“I am pleased to report that NO Americans were harmed, and hardly any damage was done,” Trump wrote. “Most importantly, they’ve gotten it all out of their ‘system,’ and there will, hopefully, be no further HATE,” he continued, adding a sarcastic jab.
“I want to thank Iran for giving us early notice, which made it possible for no lives to be lost and nobody to be injured.”
A U.S. military source told The Post that the Pentagon does not plan to retaliate for what it described as a failed strike.
Residents in Doha reported hearing explosions overhead, and video captured defensive missile systems in action. Iran labeled the effort “Operation Blessings of Victory,” according to state media.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed responsibility, stating it had launched a “devastating and powerful missile” at the U.S. base in Qatar.
Videos circulating online, including those posted by NewsNation’s Brian Entin, showed bright trails from the missiles lighting up the skies above the Gulf.
Al Udeid Air Base, which hosts around 10,000 American personnel, serves as the forward headquarters for U.S. Central Command.
Iranian officials now say they are open to diplomacy.
“We are rational enough to start a diplomatic process after punishing the aggressor,” one official told Reuters.
Still, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei took a defiant tone in a social media post Monday, saying, “We didn’t harm anyone. And we will not accept any harassment from anyone under any circumstances. And we will not submit to anyone’s harassment,” as translated from Farsi.
A defense official confirmed that ballistic missiles, both short- and medium-range, were fired from Iran and aimed at the U.S. facility in Qatar.
“The White House and the Department of Defense are aware of, and closely monitoring, potential threats to Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar,” read an official statement from Washington.
Trump was scheduled to convene with his national security team in the Situation Room at 1 p.m., according to the White House.
Qatar’s defense forces successfully intercepted the incoming missiles, the Qatari government confirmed.
Iran’s warning to Doha gave the U.S. time to relocate aircraft from vulnerable positions, Axios reported.
“At this time, there are no reports of US casualties,” a U.S. defense official stated, noting that monitoring efforts were ongoing and updates would follow.
According to The New York Times, Iranian officials said they felt compelled to respond to the U.S. strike on the Fordow nuclear site, but wanted to avoid escalating into full-scale conflict with Trump. They likened the move to the symbolic 2020 missile attack on U.S. troops in Iraq after Qasem Soleimani’s death.
That earlier strike caused no fatalities but left 110 service members with traumatic brain injuries.
U.S. intelligence had reportedly anticipated some form of retaliation following its strikes on three nuclear-related targets inside Iran.
On Monday, more than two dozen commercial flights bound for Qatar or the UAE were rerouted due to airspace safety concerns.
“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,” a spokesman for Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement posted to X.
“We affirm 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.”
Despite the tension, Iran later emphasized it wished to maintain good relations with Qatar, stressing that the missile strikes were aimed far from populated areas. This statement came from the office of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.
Located about 40 miles southwest of Doha, Al Udeid is the largest U.S. military installation in the Middle East.
The base houses more than 100 aircraft, including bombers, refueling planes, and surveillance assets critical to U.S. counterterrorism efforts in the region. It also features the longest runway in the Persian Gulf, and last month Trump announced that Qatar had agreed to invest $10 billion to upgrade the facility.

{Matzav.com}