The U.S. was aware that Iran planned to retaliate after the bombing of its nuclear sites.
According to CNN, a US defense official has also confirmed that Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar was struck by a barrage of short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles.
In a striking show of preparation and escalating tensions, U.S. military aircraft were relocated from Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base just days before Iran launched a missile attack on the facility.
Satellite images taken June 19 reveal nearly empty tarmacs at the base, indicating a preemptive move to safeguard valuable assets amid rising conflict in the Middle East.
No reports of US casualties
Two defense officials told CNN that the planes were moved last week as part of a strategic effort to protect U.S. military equipment and personnel amid escalating hostilities between Iran and Israel. Meanwhile, all U.S. Navy ships previously stationed at the Naval Support Activity Bahrain also left port, though their current locations remain undisclosed.
The missile strike on Al Udeid, confirmed by U.S. defense officials, involved both short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles launched from Iran. Despite the intensity of the attack, there have been no reports of U.S. casualties. “At this time, there are no reports of US casualties,” a Pentagon official said. “We are monitoring this situation closely and will provide more information as it becomes available.”
Qatar’s Defense Ministry confirmed its air defenses successfully intercepted the Iranian missiles targeting the U.S. base. Majed al-Ansari, spokesman for Qatar’s Foreign Minister, emphasized the effective response: Qatar’s air defenses “successfully thwarted the attack and intercepted the Iranian missiles.” He also reassured that no casualties occurred during the strike.
”We knew they’d retaliate”
The Trump administration had anticipated Tehran’s retaliation following U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend. A senior White House official told CNN, “We knew they’d retaliate. They had a similar response after Soleimani,” referring to the 2020 killing of Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani.
Despite the missile attack, early assessments suggest the Iranian missiles missed their intended targets. Still, President Donald Trump remains prepared to escalate U.S. military involvement if necessary.
The president was reported to be in the White House Situation Room Monday afternoon, preparing for a scheduled meeting with his national security team. The White House and Department of Defense issued a joint statement: “The White House and the department of defence are aware of, and closely monitoring, potential threats.”
Iran defended its missile strike, stating that the number of missiles launched at Al Udeid matched the number of bombs dropped by the U.S. on Iranian nuclear sites. The Iranian government also claimed it targeted military bases located away from civilian populations to avoid collateral damage.
Trump’s first words
About an hour after the attacks on the US bases, the president finally spoke — but he didn’t address the obvious events that had just unfolded. Trump’s initial remarks took many people by surprise precisely because he didn’t mention the missile strike at all.
”The sites that we hit in Iran were totally destroyed, and everyone knows it. Only the Fake News would say anything different in order to try and demean, as much as possible — And even they say they were “pretty well destroyed!” Working especially hard on this falsehood is Allison Cooper of Fake News CNN, Dumb Brian L. Roberts, Chairman of “Con”cast, Jonny Karl of ABC Fake News, and always, the Losers of, again, Concast’s NBC Fake News. It never ends with the sleazebags in the Media, and that’s why their Ratings are at an ALL TIME LOW — ZERO CREDIBILITY!,” Trump shared on his own platform, Truth Social.
