Tensions in the Middle East reached a critical point after powerful explosions echoed in the Qatari capital Doha last night.
Witnesses on the ground reported loud explosions and shaking windows of buildings. Qatar's Ministry of Defense officially confirmed that the national air force had activated its air defense (ADF) to intercept a massive wave of ballistic missiles and drones launched from Iran.
The authorities in the emirate immediately activated the national emergency notification system, urging citizens to stay in their homes and stay away from windows and glass facades. According to official data from the Ministry of Interior of Qatar, debris from the downed missiles fell in various residential areas of the capital, injuring three people, including a child who is now under medical observation.
Iranian attack targets US assets in the Persian Gulf
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for the attack, announcing that the main target was the “Al Udeid“ air base in Qatar - the largest US military installation in the region. According to a statement from Tehran, the attack was a direct retaliation for the ongoing air offensives of CENTCOM against Iranian territory. Simultaneously with Qatar, neighboring countries, including Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan, also came under Iranian shelling. As an additional measure, Iran announced the complete closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz to shipping.
The escalation is taking place in the context of the collapse of the temporary ceasefire. Over the past 24 hours, CENTCOM completed its seventh consecutive night of massive airstrikes on Iranian military sites in southern Iran, using fighter jets, drones and warships.
Washington and Tehran in a bitter dispute over civilian infrastructure
The Iranian government and state media in Tehran accused CENTCOM of striking critical civilian infrastructure in Horgan province, including at least six transport bridges, railway stations, a power grid and civilian airports, which led to the deaths of at least eight people and massive power outages.
However, Washington categorically and officially rejected these accusations. An official statement from the White House and the Pentagon emphasized that US forces were only carrying out “precision strikes”. The goal of the operation is to completely disrupt Iran's military capabilities, coastal surveillance, IRGC logistics networks, and their ability to threaten international commercial shipping.
US President Donald Trump made an address in which he stated that CENTCOM "has won a landslide" in the military campaign and aims to force Tehran to return to the negotiating table under new conditions.
The situation in the region remains extremely dynamic and explosive, and world markets have already reacted to the threat to oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz with a sharp jump in the prices of Brent crude oil on international exchanges.