Iran Strikes U.S. Base in Qatar—but Signals It May Want Off-Ramp
In a calibrated response to U.S. attacks on nuclear sites, Iran targets Al Udeid Air Base with advance warning—raising fears of escalation even as diplomatic backchannels remain faintly open.
Iran has said it launched an attack on United States forces in Qatar and Iran after Tehran said it would retaliate against the United States strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officially confirmed Monday that it launched a retaliatory missile attack targeting the American Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Iran’s Tasnim news agency reports. Tasnim said the operation is called “Annunciation of Victory”. Flares were visible over Qatar’s capital, Doha Monday. It was initially not immediately known if this was the air defence system or missiles. Loud explosions were also be heard. The US and United Kingdom embassies in Qatar had earlier released statements recommending citizens in Qatar to shelter in place until further notice. Qatar said it shut down its airspace temporarily as part of the measures taken to ensure the safety of residents and visitors. The countries with the most US troops include Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. These installations serve as critical hubs for air and naval operations, regional logistics, intelligence gathering and force projection.
Oil prices fell more than 4 percent, below $71 a barrel, after Iran fired missiles at a U.S. military base in Qatar.
Three Iranian officials familiar with the plans said that Iran gave advanced notice that attacks were coming, as a way to minimize casualties. The officials said Iran symbolically needed to strike back at the U.S. but at the same time carry it out in a way that allowed all sides an exit ramp; they described it as a similar strategy to 2020 when Iran gave Iraq heads up before firing ballistic missiles at an American base in Iraq following the assassination of its top general. - NYT
Iran’s statement: Iran said its missile attack on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar matched the number of bombs dropped by the United States on Iranian nuclear sites this weekend, signaling Iran’s likely desire to de-escalate. It also said it targeted the base because it was outside of populated areas.
US President Donald Trump confirmed that Iran gave advanced notice ahead of attacking a US military base in Qatar on Monday. "I am pleased to report that NO Americans were harmed, and hardly any damage was done. Most importantly, they’ve gotten it all out of their “system,” and there will, hopefully, be no further HATE," the president wrote on Truth Social. "I want to thank Iran for giving us early notice, which made it possible for no lives to be lost, and nobody to be injured. "Perhaps Iran can now proceed to Peace and Harmony in the Region, and I will enthusiastically encourage Israel to do the same." - Jerusalem Post
The national security committee of Iran’s parliament approved the general outline of a bill meant to fully suspend Tehran’s cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, Tasnim said. According to the bill, installing surveillance cameras, allowing inspections, and submitting reports to the IAEA would be suspended as long as the security of nuclear facilities is not guaranteed. Parliament still has to approve the bill in a plenary - al Arabiya
NATO allies have reached a deal on setting a new defense spending target of 5 percent of gross domestic product that allows Spain to spend less, two alliance officials told POLITICO on Sunday. The demand was originally raised by U.S. President Donald Trump and will be confirmed by NATO leaders meeting in The Hague on Wednesday. Spain threw in a last-minute complication on Thursday, when Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez demanded an exemption from the new target — a steep increase on the alliance's current 2 percent of GDP target that Spain has had trouble meeting. In order to bring Madrid on board, the new language that leaders will approve on Wednesday was changed from "we commit" to "allies commit" to spend 5 percent on defense, a NATO official said. That would allow Spain spending flexibility as long as it meets NATO's updated capability targets approved by alliance defense ministers on June 5. During the NATO summit, allies will commit to spending 3.5 percent of GDP on "hard defense" like weapons and troops, and an additional 1.5 percent on defense-related investments like cybersecurity and military mobility. Trump has said that the 5 percent target won't apply to the U.S. Allies will have to reach that target by 2035, a NATO official told POLITICO. That is a victory for countries like Italy and the U.K., which were worried that a speedy spending increase could derail their public finances. Countries closer to Russia were calling for a much faster deadline of 2030, while Rutte had proposed a 2032 date - Politico
Pro-Russian hackers launched a series of denial-of-service attacks Monday on several municipalities and organizations linked to a NATO summit this week in the Netherlands, the Dutch government announced. The National Cybersecurity Center said in a statement that many of the attacks were claimed by a pro-Russian hacker group known as NoName057(16) and appear to have a pro-Russian ideological motive. It did not elaborate. The cybersecurity center said it was investigating the attacks, which flood a site with data in order to overwhelm it and knock it offline, and was in contact with national and international partners.
Russian forces conducted a large-scale drone and missile attack on the city of Kyiv on the night of 22-23 June, damaging residential buildings, a business centre, a metro station and other facilities in various districts of the capital. The Interior Ministry reported that in Kyiv, in addition to the seven fatalities, more than 30 people were injured. In the Bila Tserkva district of Kyiv Oblast, one woman was killed and eight people were injured, including two emergency workers. Ukraine’s air defence forces destroyed 354 out of 368 aerial assets launched by Russian forces: direct hits were recorded in six locations, and debris from intercepted targets fell in 25 locations in Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast - Ukrainska Pravda
While the immobilisation of the Iranian leadership/military is potentially good news for #Ukraine - as it would reduce the flow of drones to Russia (even though RF domestic production is up) - Putin will take advantage of the distraction to pound Ukrainian cities even harder. Watch my explainer video above….
Beijing’s “massive” military build-up increases the threat of conflict across the Taiwan Strait in a way that could draw Russia and thus European forces into the fray, Nato’s secretary general warned on Monday. Speaking to reporters ahead of this week’s Nato summit in The Hague, Mark Rutte also said Nato enjoyed a close relationship with its Indo-Pacific partners – namely Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand – as it ramped up the member states’ defence industrial base. On the question of whether Nato would follow the US and come to its aid if Beijing tried to invade Taiwan, Rutte said the group’s Indo-Pacific partners were “very, very aware” of the People’s Liberation Army’s “massive” military build-up now under way - SCMP
Lauren Sanchez and her billionaire beau Jeff Bezos have shrugged off anti-capitalism protestors with a rowdy foam party on board a $500million superyacht to kick off their opulent wedding-week festivities. The couple and a host of celebrity friends will descend upon Venice this week ahead of the highly anticipated June 27 nuptials, greeted by anti-capitalist demonstrators vowing to 'block the canals' and prevent the wedding from going ahead. But the Amazon founder, 61, and his soon-to-be-wife, 55, didn't let the backlash get them down, stripping down to their swimsuits for a soapy foam party on Bezos' superyacht Koru on Sunday. A relaxed-looking Sanchez and Bezos are in Europe ahead of their nuptials, which are expected to be a week-long affair estimated to be costing roughly $15 to $20 million. Ahead of their arrival in Venice, impassioned signs reading 'No space for Bezos' and 'Veniceland: A playground fit for an oligarch' have been plastered across the region, hinting that residents want Bezos and Sanchez to take their multimillion-dollar wedding elsewhere. Demonstrators have also been plotting to clog up streets and canals to throw off the wedding's events and hinder the roughly 200 guests from getting around the city - Daily Mail
The journals…
