Iran Attacks US Air Base: What We Know So Far

1. Tehran said that with the strikes, it has sent out a clear message to the White House that "Iran will not leave its territorial integrity, sovereignty and national security unanswered under any circumstances." 
2. Iran's Supreme National Security Council said the number of missiles used in this operation was equal to the number of bombs the United States used in its assault on Iran's nuclear facilities.
3. The US has confirmed the airbase in Qatar was targeted by the missile attack, with a military official telling Reuters that no Iranian attack was detected at any other US military base.
4. The targeted base was also located far from urban areas and residential zones in Qatar, ensuring minimal risk to civilians, it insisted.
5. Qatar has said that there were no casualties from the attack on the US military base, adding it reserves the right to respond following the Iranian attack. It said its air defences had intercepted missiles directed at the airbase.
6. The Qatari Foreign Ministry has condemned the attack as a clear breach of Qatar's sovereignty, airspace, and international law.
7. Iran, however, claimed that the operation posed "no threat whatsoever to our friendly and brotherly country Qatar or its people".
8. Iran had issued threats to retaliate against the United States after US bombers dropped 30,000-pound bunker-busters on Iranian underground nuclear sites at the weekend, joining Israel's air war against Tehran, and President Donald Trump mooted the possibility of the Iranian government being toppled.
9. Shortly before Iran launched missiles at the base, Qatar announced it had closed its airspace temporarily to ensure the safety of residents and visitors. Iran said it coordinated its strikes, prompting the airspace closure, as per reports.
10. Al Udeid airbase is the largest US military installation in the Middle East, situated across the Gulf from Iran.

from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/EFtzZRW