Iran attack targets U.S. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. Here's what to know about the military base.
Iran took action to retaliate against the United States on Monday, firing short- and medium-range missiles targeting the U.S. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. Qatar's government said the missiles were intercepted, and no casualties were reported, U.S. and Qatari officials said.
President Trump called the attack "a very weak response" that the U.S. expected and "very effectively countered." He said in a pair of that 14 missiles were fired, and he thanked Iran "for giving us early notice, which made it possible for no lives to be lost, and nobody to be injured."
Iran launched its missiles in retaliation for U.S. strikes targeting three Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend.
Here's more about the Al Udeid base and the role it plays for the U.S. in the region.
Largest U.S. military base in the Middle East
The Al Udeid Air Base is the latest U.S. base in the Middle East, located in the desert southwest of Doha. It was established in 1996 and serves as the forward headquarters for U.S. Central Command, also known as CENTCOM, which directs U.S. military operations in a region stretching from Egypt in the west to Kazakhstan in the east.
The U.S. has about 40,000 military personnel in the Middle East. The base in Qatar currently houses thousands of U.S. troops. It had about 10,000 at the height of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
President Trump visited Al Udeid in May
Al Udeid was a major staging ground for U.S. military assets during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In May, it welcomed a visit from Mr. Trump, who told troops, "My priority is to end conflicts, not start them."
"But I will never hesitate to wield American power, if it's necessary, to defend the United States of America or our partners. And this is one of our great partners right here," referring to Qatar. "When we're threatened, America's military will answer our enemies without even thinking about it. We have overwhelming strength and devastating force."
Other U.S. military bases in the Middle East
In addition to Qatar, the U.S. military has bases and other installations in seven other countries in the region.
Bahrain hosts the headquarters of the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, whose area of responsibility includes the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea and parts of the India Ocean. The U.S. Navy has used the base since 1948, when the facility was operated by Britain's Royal Navy. There are some 9,000 U.S. military personnel in Bahrain.
Kuwait has several U.S. military installations: Camp Arifjan Base, Ali Al Salem Air Base and Camp Buehring. Camp Arifjan is the forward headquarters of U.S. Army Central. Ali Al Salem, known as "The Rock" for its isolated, rugged environment, is roughly 25 miles (40 kilometers) from the Iraqi border. Camp Buehring was established in 2002, in the run-up to the Iraq War and is a staging post of U.S. Army units deploying into Iraq and Syria, according to the U.S. Army website. There are some 13,000 U.S. troops in Kuwait.
United Arab Emirates has the Al Dhafra Air Base, located south of the capital, Abu Dhabi. It's a critical U.S. Air Force hub that has supported key missions in the region. It is shared with the UAE Air Force. There are some 3,000 U.S. service personnel in the UAE.
Iraq has a continuing U.S. presence at Ain Al Asad Air Base, supporting Iraqi security forces and contributing to the NATO mission, according to the White House. Erbil Air Base, located in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq, serves as a hub for U.S. and coalition forces conducting training exercises and battle drills. There are some 2,500 U.S. troops in Iraq.
Saudi Arabia has some 2,700 U.S. troops stationed in the country, many of them at the Prince Sultan Air Base, located south of Riyadh.
Jordan's Muwaffaq al Salti Air Base hosts the U.S. Air Forces Central's 323rd Air Expeditionary Wing. Located in Azraq, some 60 miles (100 kilometers) northeast of Amman, the base has some 3,800 troops. It also hosts several smaller U.S. installations, including the Tower 22 base near the Syrian border, where three U.S. service members were killed in a drone strike last year blamed on an Iran-backed militia.
Syria also has a U.S. troop presence in a series of installations as part of international efforts against the Islamic State group. There are about 1,000 U.S. troops stationed in Syria.
A U.S. official told CBS News on Monday that they were not aware of attacks on any other bases.
