Iran is reported to have launched several ballistic missiles at the US-run Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, with visible air defence activity observed over the capital, Doha.
The attack has triggered the closure of Qatari airspace and raised regional alert levels, it is however understood the base had largely been cleared of people and equipment ahead of a potential attack.
Footage showing surface-to-air missiles launched from Al Udeid Air Base intercepting Iranian ballistic missiles earlier over Doha, Qatar. pic.twitter.com/S5oJZjFCNM
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) June 23, 2025
This outlet has reviewed open-source intelligence including satellite data, flight tracking information, and geolocated social media footage. Multiple videos posted online appear to show missile interceptions above Doha. While the footage remains unverified, the visual indicators and timestamps are consistent with known locations and the reported timeline of events today.
Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the suspension of all air traffic, describing the move as a precaution based on current regional developments. Flight data shows a number of commercial aircraft were diverted or held outside Qatari airspace shortly after 17:30 local time.
Al Udeid Air Base, located near Doha, is the largest US military installation in the Middle East and serves as the headquarters for US Central Command’s air operations in the region. British military personnel are also regularly deployed to the site. It is understood that the base had been placed on high readiness earlier in the day following intelligence indicating a credible threat.
Both the US and UK embassies in Qatar issued urgent shelter-in-place advisories to their citizens. The US embassy cited an “abundance of caution” while the UK Foreign Office echoed the guidance in Parliament and through official travel alerts.
The missile launches come in the aftermath of coordinated US and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend. Tehran has vowed to retaliate. Iranian media affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps described the response as proportional and imminent.
There have been no official reports of casualties or confirmed damage at Al Udeid.
US President Donald Trump has convened a meeting of the National Security Council in Washington and is expected to make a public statement ahead of the NATO summit in The Hague. Israeli officials have stated that their military operations against Iranian targets will continue in the coming days.
This remains an evolving situation. Further details will be published as they are confirmed through verified sources.
…and so it kicks off. Bumpy ride ahead, so fingers crossed.
….. or maybe not. War finished in a few days apparantly. DT can now claim he settled the middle east crissis. On his own. Easy.
Hmmmm
Iran claiming to have attacked bases in Iraq too. I’m glad the UK got all it’s GBAD needs met in such a timely fashion, might have been a little bit of puckering otherwise.
Fingers crossed🤞🏻 BBC is reporting that the Iranians may have pre warned the US about their attack, a bit of face saving Tit & Tat for Iran but as long as no one gets killed it could lead to the off ramp. The same sort of thing happened last year between Iran and Israel and things all calmed down.
Then again it’s Trump vs a religious zealot who believes in martyrdom ! So what can possibly go wrong ? 🤞🏻
Who knew that a nation run by religious zealots would fire back after being bombed with no provocation.
Don’t worry I’m sure the Donald carefully factored this in to his calculations.
I can imagine him s**ting himself any minute now. He has probably got Rubio ready to negotiate a US surrender.
Mmm I think he may have just had 1 of broken clock moments , right ! The most polite attack of missiles ever, “here you go old boy, I’ll start bowling at 6pm after I’ve had my Tea and just 1 over and I’ll be using under arm !”.
“That’ll be fine, I hope you feel better after my bouncers yesterday, oh and thanks for the heads up !”.
And he’s told Netanyahu to pack it in as well !
” being bombed with no provocation.”
Ridiclous. So wanting to destroy UK is not a provocation to USA?
Thankfully this seems like a token effort by Iran and hopefully shows their ability to strike back is limited. I fear terrorist efforts down the line will be the main concern unless Trump feels aggrieved and totally loses his head. I don’t think we will we know full implications for months perhaps years, geez these guys still endlessly go on about the overthrow of the post war Bovt in favour of the Shah, they have long memories.
The nato conference is going to be interesting…. 5% spend, a U.S. Iran war… what more could happen.
5% spend agreed and the leaders of Spain and the USA have already said it doesn’t apply to them.
With friends like these 🤨
I honestly think NATO is potentially in its last decade to be honest.
I’d agree although only if Europe can agree to pull the band-aid off that fast. The US dissatisfaction with, and decoupling from, Europe has been going on since at least Obama’s admin, Trump is just continuing it although he’s more flashy, faster, blunt and public with it. The likely contenders for his replacement only really differ in their level of contempt for Europe as a whole and the UK specifically.
I can see NATO replaced by a Franco-German led European Alliance sans the US and the creation of a meatier US-led Indo-Pacific Alliance. With the UK attempting to play third-fiddle in both.
Canada might have to do some soul searching.
5% of GDP as a Target for Defence spending (for most of NATO..but not the USA !) is ridiculous and is designed purely as a sustainment of US defence manufacturing sector at a time when the US is actually planning to reduce spending to 2.6% of GDP.
As US GDP rises the forecast and planned expenditure on defence is currently planned to stay in the $850billion to $1 Trillion bracket resulting in a 10 year decline from 3.4% to 2.6% of GDP.
You can reconnect the following string to see the forecast which has been extracted from the Congressional budget office forecasts. www. statista .com/ statistics / 217581/ outlays-for-defense-and-forecast-in-the-us-as-a-percentage-of-the-gdp
The 2025 legislated budget was set in April 2024 at $850billion (2.79%) down from the 2024 actual expenditure of $1Trillion which was made up of @$850billion budget plus emergency expenditures of @$150billion that were approved during the year.
Real time operational budget provisions of 2.5% to 3% across NATO are multiple times more than adequate to deal with Russia and Belarus.
Also, The above plans predate Trump. He actually plans on cutting defence expenditure in hard cash terms….not just as a % of GDP. His aim is reported to be to take +/-30% out of the cash expenditures. Reconnect the following string to see one assessment of his plans.
Www .finbold .com /heres-the-u-s-defense-budget-in-2030-under-trumps-current-plan/
My only assumption is other NATO leaders assume he will be gone in 4 years and the long term target of 5% will be dropped.
As above commentors have mentioned, I’m glad that the UK MoD acted early on intelligence of the Iranian ballistic missile proliferation and secured a ground-based BMD system to safeguard our bases in Cyprus and Bahrain. If not for the fine fellows at Whitehall, we could have been in a spot of bother right about now.