Tuesday, June 24, 2025-HAN
Qatar says the situation has stabilised and normal life has resumed after intercepting Iranian missiles targeting the U.S. Al Udeid Air Base.
Doha—Qatar’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Majed Al-Ansari, has reassured the public that the situation in the country has stabilised following Iran’s missile strike on the U.S. Al Udeid Air Base on Monday evening.
“We reassure citizens and residents that the situation in the State of Qatar is normal and that life is currently returning to normal without any significant threat after this attack was repelled,” Al-Ansari told a press conference at Qatar Television.
Late on Monday, Iran launched at least six missiles toward the base in what it described as retaliation for a U.S. strike on Iranian nuclear sites two days earlier. Al Udeid, the largest US military base in the region, was targeted as part of growing tensions between Iran and Israel.
Residents in Qatar reported seeing the missiles and hearing explosions. Qatari officials confirmed that the country’s air defences intercepted all but one missile, which landed inside the base. No casualties were reported.
Shayeq Al-Hajri, Deputy Chief of Staff for Joint Operations at Qatar’s Ministry of Defence, told the same press conference that Iran launched the missiles at 7:30 pm local time. The defence systems then intercepted all the missiles except for one, which landed inside the airbase.
“Following the recent escalation between Israel and Iran, the Qatari Ministry of Defence has increased its readiness and preparedness to deal with the repercussions of this crisis,” Al-Hajri said.
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Jabr Al-Nuaimi, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior, added that shrapnel from the missiles had caused minor fires, which were quickly contained without injuries.
“Security and stability in the State of Qatar are a top priority, and no external developments will be allowed to affect the safety of our society or disturb public life,” he said.
Meanwhile, Qatar reopened its airspace at midnight on Tuesday, hours after temporarily closing it in light of the regional developments.
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The attack on the U.S. military post was met with global condemnation, including from Qatar, which described it as “a flagrant violation” of its sovereignty.
Al-Ansari reiterated Qatar’s condemnation of the attacks, adding that it reserves the right to respond “in accordance with international law and in a manner proportional to the nature and scale” of the attack.
The official spokesperson also said the attack was “surprising” given Qatar’s mediation efforts.
“We consider this attack surprising in light of Qatar’s stances, its commitment to good neighbourliness, and its approach to mediation in resolving crises,” he told the press.
Qatar has been at the forefront of mediation efforts between Hamas and Israel since the beginning of the genocide in the Gaza Strip on October 7, 202,3 in an effort to reach a ceasefire and a captives release deal.
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Since the beginning of the Iran-Israel conflict, Qatar has repeatedly called for diplomacy in order to de-escalate the situation and preserve the region’s stability.
Al-Ansari, during the press conference, voiced Qatar’s outrage towards Israel’s escalations, noting the Gulf state had repeatedly warned against their impact on the region’s stability.
“Qatar has repeatedly warned of the consequences of the Israeli escalations in the region and irresponsible behaviour, the effects of which we see today in our entire region,” he said.
Israel had initiated the escalations with Iran on June 13, obstructing nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington while increasing the region’s instability.
Israel carried out the attacks over the pretext of fighting the Islamic Republic’s nuclear weapons. Israel has long claimed that Iran was developing a nuclear weapon in a bid to maintain its military power in the region while continuing to occupy Palestine without a threat.
Iran says Israel has since killed more than 400 people and wounded more than 3,000 others.
Source: Doha News
