U.S. Embassy in Qatar warns Americans to shelter in place as country closes airspace amid threat from Iran
Update: Iran launched a missile attack on the U.S. base at Al Udeid in Qatar on Monday; no casualties were reported. Read the latest here.
The U.S. Embassy in Qatar warned American citizens on Monday to shelter in place, and a few hours later, Qatar's foreign ministry announced the country would be closing its air space temporarily. CBS News has learned that the closure of the airspace was in response to a credible threat. The Reuters and AP news agencies are reporting that explosions have been heard across Doha, the capital.
Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar is the largest U.S. base in the Middle East. It was a major staging ground for U.S. military assets during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and President Trump visited troops at the facility just last month. There are some 8,000 U.S. troops based at al-Udeid.
"Out of an abundance of caution we recommend American citizens shelter in place until further notice," the embassy posted online on Monday.
The State Department had earlier warned U.S. citizens around the world to "exercise increased caution," after the U.S. joined Israel's assault on Iran, bombing three key Iranian nuclear sites on Saturday night. Prior to the U.S. strikes, Iran vowed that it would retaliate against the U.S. if it joined the conflict.
Qatar's ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement that the country was temporarily suspending "air traffic in the country's airspace, in order to ensure the safety of citizens, residents, and visitors. This is a temporary measure to ensure the safety during the current situation in the region."
"The Qatari foreign minister is monitoring the situation closely and is coordinating the assessments with regional and international partners," the foreign ministry said.
The U.K. also updated its Monday, advising its citizens in Qatar to shelter in place.
"Following a U.S. security alert for U.S. nationals in Qatar, out of an abundance of caution, we recommend that British nationals in Qatar shelter in place until further notice," the U.K. Foreign Office said.
A spokesperson for Qatar's ministry of foreign affairs said in that the "advisory from a number of embassies to their citizens do not reflect the existence of specific threats."
"The security situation in the country is stable," the statement said, and "the relevant authorities are closely monitoring the situation and are ready to take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of citizens, residents, and visitors."
The statement said Qatari officials would "keep the public informed of any developments that require alerts or action."
The U.S. has a number of military bases and warships across the Middle East, and about 40,000 military personnel stationed on them.
