What to Know About Iran’s Attack on US Facilities in Qatar and Al Udeid Base

Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base is a critical military installation for the U.S., but Iran’s attack appears primarily symbolic in nature.

U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors arrive at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, on June 27, 2019. U.S. Air Force/Tech. Sgt. Nichelle Anderson

Iran launched several ballistic missiles at the United States’ largest military facility in the Middle East on June 23.

Iranian authorities said the attack was retaliation for the United States’ targeting of its uranium enrichment facilities over the weekend, and that it launched a number of missiles equal to the number of bombs dropped by the United States.

U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed in a post on Truth Social that Iran had launched 14 missiles toward the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar but noted that Iran had given the United States advance notice of the attack and that all missiles were intercepted or else missed their target.

Hours later, Trump announced a cease-fire agreement between Iran and Israel, under which the two countries would wind down their final military operations within six hours and begin what he expected to be a “peaceful and respectful” cease-fire on both sides. After 24 hours, the conflict will be declared over, Trump said.

Iran’s attack against Al Udeid is nevertheless a historic moment, as it marks the first time that a foreign power has directly targeted the base in Qatar, which normally houses thousands of U.S. military personnel, dozens of bombers and fighter jets, and vital logistical command units.

US Nerve Center in the Middle East

Al Udeid is technically a Qatari base and was built in secret by Qatar throughout the 1990s. It first welcomed U.S. troops in the early 2000s following U.S. operations in the region related to the global war on terror.

However, functionally, the sprawling facilities at Al Udeid serve as the largest U.S. military facility in the Middle East and grant the United States unparalleled power projection capability throughout the region.

The base is therefore a target rich in symbolic value, even if the Iranian attack achieved no immediate strategic benefit.

Al Udeid’s strategic relevance is twofold: It allows the United States to project power by supporting varied air campaigns, and it boosts regional deterrence by providing an air element to complement the Navy’s Fifth Fleet in neighboring Bahrain.

The facilities stretch across roughly 12 square miles of land and became a key nerve center for U.S. operations in the Middle East during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. They have at times housed more than 8,000 service members alongside hundreds of allied coalition forces.

Since 2009, the base has also served as the forward headquarters of U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. military operations throughout the entire Middle East.

The facilities at Al Udeid include armored shelters; Patriot missile batteries; two major runways for U.S. strategic and fighter aircraft; and an arsenal of advanced aircraft, including B‑52 bombers and F‑15 and F-22 fighters.

The vast majority of those aircraft were relocated at least temporarily in the lead-up to the June 23 strikes; however, satellite imagery showed only three visible at the base on June 19.

Ballistic Missiles Used, No Casualties Reported

Also notable was Iran’s decision to attack the base with ballistic missiles rather than much cheaper and more attainable systems such as one-way attack drones.

In an email to The Epoch Times, a U.S. defense official said Iran used short- and medium-range ballistic missiles against the base, and that the Pentagon was closely monitoring the situation for any new developments.

It is unclear at this time why Iran deployed medium-range ballistic missiles in the attack, as all known variants of its short-range ballistic missiles have sufficient range to target Al Udeid.

The U.S. defense official also said that there were no reports of U.S. casualties but that the Pentagon would continue to monitor the situation closely.

Likewise, Qatar’s foreign ministry said in the aftermath of the attack that all missiles had been intercepted, and that the small Gulf nation now retained the right to retaliate if it so chose.

Qatar’s foreign ministry said the government there retained the right to respond to Iran’s attack, and considered the missile launch a “flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the state of Qatar, its airspace, international law, and the United Nations Charter.”

“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,” the ministry said in a prepared statement.

Middle East Nations Condemn Attack

Leaders throughout the Middle East have also condemned the attack, with officials in Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates calling for Iran to de-escalate and avoid further hostilities.

Ahmed Aboul Gheit, chief of the 22-member Arab League, expressed “complete solidarity” with Qatar following Iran’s missile attack, describing it as “unacceptable.”

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council attempted to assuage the sudden fallout in relations with Qatar, issuing a statement saying the attack targeted facilities far from civilians and that Tehran was “committed to preserving and continuing its warm and historic relations with Qatar.”

For his part, Trump took to social media to thank Qatar for its role in countering the attack, and to say he hoped that Iran and Israel could now work to wind down their growing conflict.

“Perhaps Iran can now proceed to Peace and Harmony in the Region, and I will enthusiastically encourage Israel to do the same,” Trump wrote.

Correction: A previous version of this article misspelled the name of Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit. The Epoch Times regrets the error.