06/23/2025
TheWhiteHouseSpin.Com / SPIN PUBLISHING:
PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP WATCHES FROM THE SITUATION ROOM AT THE WHITE HOUSE AS IRAN LAUNCHES RETALIATORY ATTACKS AT MILITARY BASE OF QATAR
Reported by Karen Ann Carr
Photo Credit: U.S. and Qatari troops and staff await U.S. President Donald Trump at the Al-Udeid Air Base southwest of Doha on May 15, 2025. Brendan Smialowski Afp Getty Images
DOHA, Qatar — Qatar closed its airspace Monday just moments before a missile attack targeted Al-Udeid Air Base, the largest U.S. military installation in the Middle East. The base, located southwest of Doha, houses approximately 10,000 American service members and serves as a central hub for U.S. operations across the region.
According to Qatar’s Ministry of Defense, the missile was successfully intercepted by the country’s air defense system. No casualties or injuries were reported, and operations at the base have since resumed under heightened security protocols.
The incident unfolded as President Donald Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, and other senior officials monitored the situation from the White House Situation Room.
“This was a deliberate and dangerous provocation by the Iranian regime,” said Defense Secretary Hegseth in a brief statement to reporters. “We are in active coordination with our Qatari allies to assess the full scope of the threat and ensure the continued safety of our forces.”
In a strongly worded statement, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry condemned the attack, which it attributed to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
“We express the State of Qatar’s strong condemnation of the attack on Al-Udeid Air Base by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, and consider it a flagrant violation of the State of Qatar’s sovereignty and airspace, as well as of international law and the United Nations Charter,” a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.
The ministry added that Qatar “reserves the right to respond directly, in a manner proportional to the nature and scale of this blatant aggression and in accordance with international law.”
Al-Udeid Air Base has been a critical staging ground for U.S. and coalition operations in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan. The attempted strike underscores the growing vulnerability of American assets in the Gulf and signals a potential expansion of regional conflict.
“This is a red line — not just for Qatar, but for the U.S. military presence in the region,” said Dr. Leila Hamdan, a senior analyst at the Middle East Institute. “If Iran is willing to target a base that is so closely tied to Washington’s defense posture, it suggests Tehran is either testing boundaries or preparing for broader confrontation.”
The White House has not yet indicated whether it views the attack as a direct act of war, but National Security Council officials are reportedly preparing a range of diplomatic and military response options.
“This attack will not go unanswered,” said National Security Advisor Rick Grenell in a televised briefing. “The safety of our forces and the integrity of our partnerships in the Gulf are non-negotiable.”
As tensions escalate, U.S. forces in the region have been placed on high alert. Additional air defense assets may be deployed in the coming days, and consultations with NATO allies and Gulf partners are underway.
https://thewhitehousespin.blogspot.com/2025/06/president-donald-j-trump-watches-from.html
According to Qatar’s Ministry of Defense, the missile was successfully intercepted by the country’s air defense system. No casualties or injuries were reported, and operations at the base have since resumed under heightened security protocols.
