Explosions heard over Doha as Iran claims strike on Al Udeid air base in Qatar
Iran claimed it had targeted American forces stationed at Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base, calling it “a mighty and successful response to America’s aggression.”
Explosions echoed through parts of Qatar on Monday night shortly after the Gulf nation closed its airspace, citing threats of Iranian retaliation over recent US airstrikes on key nuclear sites in Iran.
Iran claimed it had targeted American forces stationed at Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base, calling it “a mighty and successful response to America’s aggression,” in an announcement aired on state TV.
Just before the blasts, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian posted on X, “We neither initiated the war nor [are we] seeking it. But we will not leave invasion to the great Iran without answer.”
The closure of Qatari airspace came as tensions soared across the region. Earlier, the US had carried out coordinated airstrikes on Iran’s heavily fortified nuclear enrichment facilities in Isfahan, Natanz, and Fordow, joining Israel’s ongoing campaign against Tehran’s nuclear programme.
Israel followed with more strikes on Monday, expanding targets to include sites symbolic of Iran’s governing institutions.
Among these was a missile attack on the Evin prison in Tehran, known for housing political prisoners and dual nationals. Israel also targeted the headquarters of Iran’s Basij paramilitary force.
Surveillance footage aired on Iranian state TV showed damage to the prison’s entrance, while officials claimed inmates remained under control inside the facility.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military confirmed it struck access routes to the underground Fordow enrichment site to block Iranian response efforts.
Trump claims ‘monumental damage’ after US drops bunker-buster bombs on Iran
President Donald Trump took responsibility for the unprecedented use of seven B-2 stealth bombers to drop massive GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs on Iranian sites, calling the outcome “monumental damage.” But there is still no independent confirmation of the actual extent of the impact on Iran’s nuclear programme.
In his Truth Social post, Trump provocatively questioned whether “regime change” was now necessary in Iran, a remark that drew harsh reactions from Tehran. The Iranian military warned US forces in the region, including those stationed at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, that they would now be viewed as legitimate targets.
Iranian military chief Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi declared that the US. had effectively handed Iran a “free hand” to act against American interests. Tens of thousands of US troops remain stationed in the Middle East, many of them within range of Iran’s missile systems.
