Iranian Ballistic Missile Strikes the United States' Largest Military Base in Qatar
An Iranian ballistic missile struck the United States’ largest military base, Al-Udeid, in Qatar on Tuesday night (3/3). This occurred as Tehran continued to attack targets in Gulf states hosting US military assets, in retaliation for US and Israel strikes.
The Qatari Ministry of Defence, in a statement carried by AFP and Anadolu Agency on Wednesday (4/3/2026), said that Qatar was targeted by two ballistic missiles fired from Iranian territory on Tuesday night local time.
The Qatari Defence Ministry said that the air defence system successfully intercepted one of the Iranian missiles. However, another missile struck the Al-Udeid military base complex, located southwest of the capital Doha and the largest US base in the Middle East.
There were no reports of fatalities from the Iranian missile attack.
“The air defence system successfully intercepted one of the missiles, while the second missile struck the Al-Udeid base in Qatar, with no loss of life,” the Qatari Defence Ministry said.
It was not stated whether the Iranian missile caused material damage to the Al-Udeid complex.
Al-Udeid Air Base, located in the desert area outside Doha, according to Reuters, is a forward headquarters for United States Central Command (CENTCOM), which directs US military operations in a region spanning from Egypt in the west to Kazakhstan in the east.
Covering an area of 24 hectares, Al-Udeid Air Base is the largest US military base in the Middle East, hosting around 10,000 troops.
The Defence Ministry further stressed that the Qatari Armed Forces have full capability to defend the sovereignty and territory of their country, and remain ready to respond firmly to any external threat.
The ministry also urged Qatari citizens, residents, and visitors to stay calm, comply with official instructions, and rely only on verified information rather than circulating rumours.
On Tuesday (3/3), Qatar detected three cruise missiles, 101 ballistic missiles, and 39 suicide drones directed at its airspace since the start of Iran’s retaliatory strikes. Doha emphasised that all those missiles—and 24 of the drones—were shot down in the air.
Tensions have risen across the Middle East since the US and Israel launched large-scale, coordinated strikes against Iran on Saturday (28/2). The latest report from the Iranian Red Crescent says at least 787 people have died in the wave of US-Israeli attacks.
Iran has responded with missile and drone strikes against targets in Israel and US bases in Gulf states.