[Salon] Iran’s military said it attacked Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the biggest U.S. base in the Middle East. Qatar said it intercepted a rocket. Officials said Iran also fired on Iraq, as the U.A.E and Bahrain closed their airspace.

[Chas Freeman <cwfresidence@gmail.com>]

Iran Fires on U.S. Base in Qatar, as Gulf Neighbors Close Air Space

Iran’s military said it attacked Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the biggest U.S. base in the Middle East. Qatar said it intercepted a rocket. Officials said Iran also fired on Iraq, as the U.A.E and Bahrain closed their airspace.

Last Updated: 

June 23, 2025 at 1:35 PM ET

Photo: Carlos Barria/Associated Press

Iran launched missiles at a U.S. base in Qatar and at Iraq, where the U.S. keeps military facilities, officials said.

Earlier, U.S. officials said Iran had begun moving missile launchers into place for a potential attack on U.S. forces in the Middle East.

Israel continued to strike targets in Iran but is looking to end its war soon, officials said, as the U.N.'s atomic-agency chief said U.S. attacks on Iran’s Fordow enrichment site likely caused “very significant damage.” Israel followed up with strikes to entry points to Fordow. Israel's attack on symbols of the Iranian regime, including a prison where political prisoners are held, was a signal to Iranians that the regime is fragile, said an Israeli lawmaker.

The Iranian regime’s clerical leaders now risk widening a war with two militarily superior foes, the U.S. and Israel. The alternative was to return to nuclear talks where they would likely have to make concessions on nuclear enrichment and their ballistic-missile arsenal, two pillars of the country’s sovereignty.

Earlier, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in what appeared to be his first comments since the U.S. attack, didn’t mention the U.S. and instead focused on Israel in a post on X. Israel made a “grave mistake” and “it is being punished right now,” the post said.

Leaders in Europe urged Iran not to respond in a way that would “destabilize the region,” while President Trump gave no ground on his demand for Iran to agree on the U.S.’s terms for a peace deal. Trump on Sunday didn’t rule out backing a change in Iran’s leadership.

What else to know:

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Iran's foreign minister in Moscow, saying the strikes by the U.S. over the weekend weren't justified and that Russia was taking steps to help the Iranian people.

Iranian military officials said Sunday’s strikes against the country's nuclear facilities had violated Iranian sovereignty, making the U.S. a party to the war and its assets legitimate targets.

Half a dozen ships have diverted course on the way to the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to global markets since Sunday.

The U.S. warned about the threat of retaliatory actions due to the U.S. military strikes against Iran, including hate crimes and cyberattacks.