How Qatar defused Iran’s attack on the largest US-run base in the region
Top Qatari officials had been meeting with the country's prime minister on Monday afternoon to find ways of de-escalating a conflict between Iran and Israel, when defence ministry personnel called to warn of incoming Iranian missiles.
The attack, the first on the Gulf, caught them by surprise, according to Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari, who recalls feeling the prime minister's residence shake with the interceptions that quickly followed overhead.
Unease had gripped the Gulf Arab states that morning.
In this frame-grab made from video, missiles and air-defence interceptors illuminate the night sky over Doha after Iran launched an attack on US forces at Al Udeid Air Base on June 23, 2025 in Doha. (Getty)
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