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Iran has responded to the United States’ nonstop engagement successful the Iran-Israel struggle by targeting its military assets successful the Middle East.
On Monday, Ali Akbar Velayati, an advisor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, announced that bases utilized by US forces “in the portion oregon elsewhere” could beryllium attacked successful retaliation for US attacks connected Iran’s underground atomic sites the erstwhile day.
Later that evening, explosions were heard implicit Qatar’s capital, Doha, arsenic Iran attacked Al Udeid Air Base, the largest US subject basal successful the Middle East.
Here’s everything you request to cognize astir Al Udeid:
What is Al Udeid?
Gas-rich Qatar, which lies 190km (120 miles) southbound of Iran crossed the Gulf, is location to the US’s largest subject basal successful the region, Al Udeid.
The 24-hectare (60-acre) base, successful the godforsaken extracurricular the superior Doha, was acceptable up successful 1996 and is the guardant office for US Central Command, which directs US subject operations successful a immense swathe of territory stretching from Egypt successful the westbound to Kazakhstan successful the east.
It houses the Qatar Emiri Air Force, the US Air Force, the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force, and different overseas forces.
It houses astir 10,000 troops.
Earlier this year, The Hill, a Washington, DC-based newspaper, reported that Al Udeid’s “long, well-maintained runways alteration accelerated deployment, making it a captious constituent of US unit projection”.
The Hill besides reported that Qatar’s concern successful Al Udeid has kept it “at the forefront of subject readiness portion redeeming US taxpayers billions of dollars”. Over the years, it said, Qatar had spent much than $8bn upgrading infrastructure.
The basal has played a cardinal relation successful aerial campaigns successful Iraq and Afghanistan, and in humanitarian missions, including the 2021 evacuation of Kabul.
Why is it successful the news?
On Monday, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry announced it had temporarily closed its airspace amid threats of Iranian retaliation.
“The competent authorities denote the impermanent suspension of aerial postulation successful the country’s airspace, arsenic portion of a acceptable of precautionary measures taken based connected developments successful the region,” the ministry said.
The closure came respective hours aft the US and UK embassies urged their citizens successful Qatar to structure successful spot retired of what it said was “an abundance of caution”.
Later, quality bureau Reuters cited a Western diplomat arsenic saying determination had been a credible Iranian menace against Al Udeid since noon connected Monday.
That evening, Qatar’s Defence Minister, cited by Al Jazeera, said the country’s aerial defences had intercepted missiles directed astatine Al Udeid.
Was Al Udeid prepared for the attack?
Before targeting Iran’s atomic sites, it appears that the US started taking precautionary measures.
As US President Donald Trump mulled nonstop engagement successful the Iran-Israel conflict, quality bureau AFP reported that dozens of US subject craft were nary longer connected the tarmac astatine the aerial base, basing its appraisal connected outer images published by Planet Labs PBC.
Nearly 40 subject craft – including transport planes similar the Hercules C-130 and reconnaissance craft – were parked connected the tarmac astatine the base, the determination office of the Pentagon’s Central Command, connected June 5. But successful an representation taken connected June 19, lone 3 craft were visible.
One US authoritative who spoke to Reuters said craft that were not successful hardened shelters had been moved from Al Udeid base. Additionally, helium said US Navy vessels had been moved from a larboard successful Bahrain, wherever the US military’s 5th fleet is located.
“It is not an uncommon practice,” the official said. “Force extortion is the priority.”
Was Al Udeid progressive successful US attacks connected atomic sites?
No.
Prior to the US onslaught connected atomic sites connected Sunday, it was reported that B-2 bombers were heading to Guam – a ruse, arsenic it turned out.
As each eyes looked West, 7 B-2 stealth bombers took disconnected from Whiteman Air Force Base successful Missouri successful the US astatine 00:01 EDT (04:01 GMT), according to the Pentagon. The top-secret flights flew consecutive implicit the Atlantic to Iran.
None of the US bases successful the Middle East were deployed successful the US violative connected Iran.
How has Qatar responded to the onslaught connected Al Udeid?
Qatar condemned the onslaught connected the aerial base, calling it a “flagrant violation” of its sovereignty.
“We explicit the State of Qatar’s beardown condemnation of the onslaught connected Al Udeid Air Base by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, and see it a flagrant usurpation of the State of Qatar’s sovereignty and airspace, arsenic good arsenic of planetary law,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said successful a statement.
Iran and Qatar bask fraternal diplomatic relations. Qatar has condemned the US strikes connected Iran’s atomic sites.
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