Iran targets US military base: Where is Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar?
Iran targeted the U.S. military's largest Middle East air base with a missile attack on Monday, June 23, an apparent response to U.S. strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities days earlier.
Iran's military claimed June 23 it had carried out a missile attack on the Al Udeid Air Base in the area of Doha, Qatar, located across the Persian Gulf from Iran. Qatar said in a statement shortly after the evening attack that Qatari air defenses successfully intercepted the missile attack and said no casualties have been reported.
Live updates: Iran targets US military base in Qatar days after nuclear sites bombed
The U.S. Embassy in Qatar issued multiple warnings to personnel in the wake of Israel's June 12 attack on Iran, initially advising Americans to exercise increased caution and discouraged non-essential travel to Al Udeid Air Base. Officials issued restricted access to the base Friday, June 19, ahead of the U.S.-led strikes on Iran Saturday night. The embassy most recently issued an emergency 'shelter in place' Monday for all Americans in the area.
The Al Udeid Air Base is nestled in the desert in the Abū Nakẖlah district in Qatar, just outside of the capital Doha. It is approximately 25 miles from Doha's International Airport and from the city's central downtown district.
The base is a critical nerve center for American forces and operations in the Middle East from its perch in the central Gulf. It acts as a forward headquarters for U.S. Central Command and Air Forces Central Command.
Al Udeid Air Base has played a critical role in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and operations across the region for more than 15 years, its operations covering a huge swath of territory stretching from Egypt in the west to Kazakhstan in the east.
The 24-hectare base is a large and self-sustained compound, according to 2023 U.S. military documents detailing the facilities. Alongside its many functional offices and dorms, the complex contains a post office, gym, movie theater, an outdoor food court and a dining hall, a recreational pool and a large gathering plaza used to host outdoor entertainment and social functions.
It houses around 10,000 troops, while the entire Middle East has about 40,000 American troops across several countries and bases.
The embassy stretches across 12 acres within the Wadi al Banat district of Qatar's capital city.
Contributing: Reuters; Janet Loehrke, USA TODAY
Kathryn Palmer is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kapalmer@usatoday.com and on X @KathrynPlmr.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Al Udeid Air Base map: See where Iran's missile attack targeted
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