 "Inside Al Udeid Air Base, US’ largest military base in West Asia, which Iran attacked")
Iran has acted against the United States’ direct role in the Iran-Israel conflict by striking one of its military bases in West Asia.
On Monday, Iran targeted the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, which is the largest American military base in West Asia.
Read Israel-Iran conflict latest updates here.
Notably, US bases had already been put on high alert, with extra security measures in place, as Iran was expected to launch attacks.
The US has military bases across West Asia, including in Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Syria and the United Arab Emirates.
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So, what do we know about the air base in Qatar that came under attack?
Let’s take a look:
Iran attacks Al Udeid Air Base: What we know
The Al Udeid Air Base is a major military centre for American forces in the region.
It is the largest US base in West Asia, once home to around 10,000 troops. By 2022, that number had dropped to nearly 8,000.
Located on a flat desert area about 30 kilometres southwest of Doha, the capital of Qatar, the base has played a central role in US operations.
Qatar, which is rich in natural gas, has invested around $8 billion in building and developing the base. In the early years, it was considered so secretive that US officials would only describe its location as “in southwest Asia.”
Impact Shorts
More ShortsUS President Donald Trump visited the base last month during a visit to the region. It was the first visit by a sitting US president to Al Udeid in over 20 years.
In the days leading up to US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, much of the usual air traffic at Al Udeid was moved elsewhere. According to The Associated Press, a satellite image taken on June 18 by Planet Labs PBC showed the tarmac largely cleared of transport planes, jets and drones.
The US began using Al Udeid shortly after the September 11 attacks to launch missions against the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. Two years later, it was established as the main centre for American air operations in the region.
Over the years, commanders have directed missions from the base during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and also used it for airstrikes on Islamic State targets in Syria. The Air Force has deployed many aircraft from Al Udeid, including fighter jets, bombers, drones, transport planes and refuelling tankers, according to The New York Times.
In 2021, it became the hub for the evacuation of tens of thousands of Afghans and Americans during the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
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Trump says Israel, Iran agreed to ‘complete and total ceasefire’: Is the war over?
On Tuesday, Donald Trump said that Israel and Iran had reached a “complete and total ceasefire”.
But the situation on the ground remains uncertain, with reports of attacks continuing even after the announcement.
Israel has not formally confirmed any ceasefire. However, there were no fresh Israeli airstrikes in Iran reported after 4 am local time. Until just before that, heavy bombing had continued in Tehran and other cities.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X, “As of now, there is NO ‘agreement’ on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations.
However, provided that the Israeli regime stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people no later than 4 am Tehran time, we have no intention to continue our response afterwards.”
A source told Reuters that Israel had agreed to the ceasefire, but only if Iran refrains from launching new attacks.
The official also said Trump pushed for talks between Israel and Iran shortly after US airstrikes took place.
Earlier on Monday, Trump had said he would encourage Israel to work towards peace, playing down Iran’s missile attack on a US air base that caused no injuries.
According to him, Iran had fired 14 missiles at the base, calling it “a very weak response, which we expected, and have very effectively countered.”
Notably, Tehran’s action came after US bombers dropped 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs on Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend, joining Israel in its air campaign.
Days of bombing have led many among Tehran’s 10 million residents to flee the capital.
The Trump administration has insisted that the aim of the strikes was only to destroy Iran’s nuclear programme, not to start a broader conflict.
In Israel, at least 24 people have died and over 1,000 have been injured in the fighting. In Iran, Israeli strikes have killed at least 974 people and wounded 3,458 more, according to the US-based group Human Rights Activists.
With inputs from agencies
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