Iran says it attacked US forces at air base in Qatar

On this photograph launched on Monday, June 23, 2025, by Iranian military press service, Iran’s military commander-in-chief Gen. Amir Hatami, heart, accompanied by excessive ranked military commanders, speaks in a video name with prime commanders of the military, in Zolfaghar central headquarters, Iran, as portraits of the late revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini, left, and Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dangle on the wall. —Iranian Military Press Service by way of AP

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran mentioned Monday evening that it attacked American forces stationed at Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base.

The announcement was made on state tv as martial music performed. A caption on the display known as it “a mighty and profitable response by the armed forces of Iran to America’s aggression.”

The assault got here shortly after Qatar closed its airspace as a precaution amid threats from Iran.

Explosions boomed Monday evening in Qatar, dwelling to a significant US air base, shortly after its airspace was closed on account of Iranian threats of retaliation after American forces pounded its nuclear websites.

Witnesses mentioned they noticed what gave the impression to be missiles within the skies over the nation.

There was no fast acknowledgment from Qatari authorities of an assault.

Iran didn’t instantly acknowledge an assault. Nonetheless, its President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote on the social platform X simply earlier than the explosions: “We neither initiated the warfare nor looking for it. However we is not going to depart invasion to the nice Iran with out reply.”

Qatar closed its airspace amid Iranian threats to retaliate towards the US over its bombing of three Iranian nuclear websites early Sunday.

Earlier within the day, Israel expanded its warfare towards Iran to incorporate targets related to the nation’s struggling theocracy, hanging the gate of a Tehran jail infamous for holding political activists and hitting the headquarters of the army power that suppressed current protests.

Previously, Iran has threatened American forces at Al Udeid Air Base, which hosts the ahead headquarters of the US army’s Central Command. Qatar, throughout the Persian Gulf from Iran, maintains diplomatic relations with Iran and shares an enormous offshore pure gasoline discipline with Tehran.

Earlier within the day, plumes of thick smoke rose over Tehran, Israel was attacked with yet one more barrage of Iranian missiles and drones. The persistent hearth has grow to be a actuality for civilians in each nations since Israel began the warfare to focus on Tehran’s quickly advancing nuclear program.

On the eleventh day of the battle, Israel mentioned it attacked “regime targets and authorities repression our bodies within the coronary heart of Tehran,” however Israeli officers insisted they didn’t search the overthrow of Iran’s authorities, their archenemy because the nation”s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The Israeli army warned Iranians that it could proceed to assault army websites round Tehran over “the approaching days” as its focuses has shifted to symbolic targets as effectively. The army issued the warning on the social platform X, although Iranians are struggling to entry the surface world as an web shutdown has crippled the nation.

The newest strikes unfolded solely hours after President Donald Trump brazenly raised the chance himself after only a day earlier inserting America into the warfare with its unprecedented stealth-bomber strike on three Iranian nuclear websites.

“If the present Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change???” he requested on his Reality Social web site.

White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt later described Trump as “merely elevating a query.” Nonetheless, options of overthrowing the Iranian authorities drew new anger from Tehran, which insists it is not going to negotiate presently and is threatening to retaliate immediately towards both American troops or pursuits in a Mideast already infected by the still-raging Israel-Hamas warfare within the Gaza Strip.

Tehran strikes open new chapter of warfare

Within the Tehran strikes, Israel blew open a gate at Evin jail. Iranian state tv shared black-and-white surveillance footage of the strike on the facility recognized for holding twin nationals and Westerners typically utilized by Iran as bargaining chips in negotiations with the West.

Evin additionally has specialised models for political prisoners run by the paramilitary, all-volunteer Revolutionary Guard, which solutions solely to Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The ability is the goal of each US and European Union sanctions.

There have been no fast stories of casualties in Iran or important harm, although the semiofficial Tasnim information company mentioned there had been an influence reduce reported exterior of Tehran following the Israeli strikes.

Iranian state tv additionally aired footage it described as being shot inside Evin, with prisoners below management inside the ability. Nonetheless, the Washington-based Abdorrahman Boroumand Middle for Human Rights in Iran expressed fear concerning the situation of prisoners there.

“Many households of present detainees have expressed deep concern concerning the security and situation of their family members held contained in the jail,” it mentioned.

Earlier Monday, Iranian Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi, the chief of joint employees of armed forces, warned Washington that its strikes had given Iranian forces a “free hand “ to “act towards US pursuits and its military.”

Tens of 1000’s of American troops are based mostly within the Center East, many in areas inside vary of short-range Iranian missiles.

The Israeli army additionally confirmed it struck roads round Iran’s Fordo enrichment facility to impede entry to the positioning. The underground web site was a type of hit in Sunday’s assault by the US on three nuclear services. The Israeli army didn’t elaborate.

“The Iranian dictator can be punished with full power for attacking the Israeli dwelling entrance,” Israel’s Protection Ministry mentioned.

In response to an Israeli official accustomed to the federal government’s technique, Israel is focusing on these websites to place strain on the Iranian administration however will not be actively looking for to topple it. The official spoke on situation of anonymity to debate inside authorities deliberations.

Nuclear fears mount after US strikes

In Vienna, the pinnacle of the United Nations nuclear watchdog mentioned he anticipated there to be heavy harm on the Fordo facility following Sunday’s US airstrike there with subtle bunker-buster bombs.

With the strikes Sunday on Iranian nuclear websites, the US inserted itself into Israel’s warfare, prompting fears of a wider regional battle. Iran mentioned the US had crossed “a really large purple line” with its dangerous gambit to strike the three websites with missiles and 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs.

A number of Iranian officers, together with Atomic Vitality Group of Iran spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi, have claimed Iran eliminated nuclear materials from focused websites forward of time.

Rafael Grossi, the pinnacle of the Worldwide Atomic Vitality Company, informed the company’s board of governors Monday that Iranian Overseas Minister Abbas Araghchi knowledgeable him on June 13 that Iran would “undertake particular measures to guard nuclear tools and supplies.”

“I indicated that any switch of nuclear materials from a safeguarded facility to a different location in Iran should be declared,” Grossi mentioned, with out saying whether or not Iran had responded.

Iran presses on attacking Israel

Iran described its Monday assault on Israel as a brand new wave of its “Operation True Promise 3,” saying it was focusing on the Israeli cities of Haifa and Tel Aviv, in keeping with Iranian state tv.

Explosions have been additionally heard in Jerusalem, presumably from air protection programs in motion, and Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency rescue service mentioned there had been no stories of accidents.

In Israel, not less than 24 folks have been killed and greater than 1,000 wounded within the warfare. Israeli strikes on Iran have killed not less than 950 folks and wounded 3,450 others, in keeping with the Washington-based group Human Rights Activists.

The group, which has offered detailed casualty figures from Iranian unrest such because the protests surrounding the demise of Masha Amini in 2022, mentioned of these killed, it recognized 380 civilians and 253 safety power personnel.

Requires de-escalation

The US described its assault on the Fordo and Natanz enrichment services, in addition to the Isfahan nuclear web site, as a one-off to take out Iran’s nuclear program, however Trump has warned of further strikes if Tehran retaliates.

Mousavi described the American assaults as violating Iran’s sovereignty and being tantamount to invading the nation, the state-run IRNA information company reported.

Russia is one in every of Iran’s closest allies and on Monday, President Vladimir Putin mentioned after assembly in Moscow with Araghchi, the Iranian international minister, that they’d explored “how we are able to get out of right this moment’s scenario.”

Putin known as the Israeli and American assaults on Iran an “completely unprovoked aggression.”

Iran, which insists its nuclear program is for civilian functions solely, beforehand agreed to restrict its uranium enrichment and permit worldwide inspectors entry to its nuclear websites below a 2015 take care of the U.S., France, China, Russia, Britain and Germany in alternate for sanctions reduction.

However after Trump pulled the US unilaterally out of the deal throughout his first time period, Iran started enriching uranium as much as 60 p.c—a brief, technical step away from weapons-grade ranges of 90 p.c—and proscribing entry to its nuclear services. /cb —AP