Iran launched missile attacks Monday on a U.S. military bases in Qatar and Iraq, retaliating for the American bombing of its nuclear sites and escalating tensions in the volatile region.

People in Doha, Qatar’s capital, stopped and looked up as missiles flew and interceptors fired and struck at least one missile in the night sky.

Iran announced on state television that it attacked American forces stationed at Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base.

A caption on screen called it “a mighty and successful response” to “America’s aggression” as martial music played.

Iran also targeted the Ain al-Assad base housing U.S. troops in western Iraq, an Iraqi security official told The Associated Press. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly.

The attacks came shortly after Qatar closed its airspace as a precaution amid threats from Iran.

Just before the explosions, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote on the social platform X: “We neither initiated the war nor seeking it. But we will not leave invasion to the great Iran without answer.”

In the past, Iran has threatened American forces at Al Udeid Air Base, which hosts the forward headquarters of the U.S. military’s Central Command. Qatar, across the Persian Gulf from Iran, maintains diplomatic relations with Iran and shares a massive offshore natural gas field with Tehran.

Iran said its missile attack on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar matched the number of bombs dropped by the United States on Iranian nuclear sites this weekend, signaling Iran’s likely desire to deescalate.

Iran made the announcement Monday night in a statement from its Supreme National Security Council after the attack, which Qatar said caused no injuries.

Iran also said it targeted the base because it was outside of populated areas.

The NY Times reported that Iran gave advanced notice to Qatari officials that attacks were coming, as a way to minimize casualties. The NY Times spoke to three officials that said Iran “symbolically needed to strike back at the U.S. but at the same time carry it out in a way that allowed all sides an exit ramp.” They described it as a similar strategy to 2020 when Iran gave Iraq heads up before firing ballistic missiles an American base in Iraq following the assassination of its top general.

Qatar condemned Iran’s attack on Al Udeid Air Base, saying it was a “flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the State of Qatar, its airspace, international law, and the United Nations Charter.”

“We affirm that Qatar reserves the right to respond directly in a manner equivalent with the nature and scale of this brazen aggression, in line with international law,” Majed Al Ansari, the spokesman of the Qatari foreign ministry said in a post on X. “We reassure that Qatar’s air defenses successfully thwarted the attack and intercepted the Iranian missiles.”

(AP/YWN)