Blasts heard over Doha after Qatar suspends air traffic
Doha: Explosions could be heard over Doha on Monday, shortly after Qatar, which hosts the biggest US base in the Middle East, suspended air traffic as Iran threatened retaliation for US strikes on its nuclear sites.
AFP journalists heard several rounds of blasts in central Doha and across the Qatari capital, with projectiles stopped by interceptors illuminating the night sky. Gas-rich Qatar, which lies 190 kilometres (120 miles) south of Iran across the Gulf, is home to the United States' largest military base in the region, Al Udeid, which hosts the regional headquarters of the Pentagon's Central Command.
"The competent authorities announce the temporary suspension of air traffic in the country's airspace, as part of a set of precautionary measures taken based on developments in the region," the foreign ministry said. It added authorities were monitoring the situation "in coordination with regional and international partners".
Earlier, the US embassy in Qatar advised Americans there not to go out, with other Western embassies echoing the warning. "Out of an abundance of caution we recommend American citizens shelter in place until further notice," the US embassy said on its website. Britain and Canada later cited the US security alert in their own recommendations to nationals. Iran's armed forces threatened on Monday to inflict "serious, unpredictable consequences" on the US after it joined its ally Israel's campaign against the Islamic republic, carrying out heavy strikes on three nuclear sites. Last week, dozens of US military aircraft were no longer on the tarmac at al-Udeid, according to satellite images published by Planet Labs PBC and analysed by AFP.
Nearly 40 military aircraft -- including transport planes like the Hercules C-130 and reconnaissance aircraft -- were parked on the tarmac at the base, the regional headquarters of the Pentagon's Central Command, on June 5, but in an image taken on June 19, only three aircraft were visible. In Bahrain, a close neighbour of Qatar that hosts the US Fifth Fleet, the American embassy "temporarily shifted a portion of its employees to local telework", it said on X. Bahraini authorities had already told most government employees to work from home until further notice, citing "regional circumstances".
Following the US warning in Doha, Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said such statements by foreign embassies "do not necessarily reflect the existence of specific or credible threats". "We would like to reassure the public that the security situation in the state remains stable," he wrote on X. "Qatar continues to exert intensive diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region." On Sunday, the US State Department advised Americans worldwide to "exercise increased caution" because of the war between Israel and Iran. After Israel's first strikes on Iran on June 13, the US embassy in Qatar had told its staff and other Americans to exercise caution and "limit non-essential travel to Al Udeid Air Base".
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Blasts heard over Doha after Qatar suspends air traffic
Doha: Explosions could be heard over Doha on Monday, shortly after Qatar, which hosts the biggest US base in the Middle East, suspended air traffic as Iran threatened retaliation for US strikes on its nuclear sites. AFP journalists heard several rounds of blasts in central Doha and across the Qatari capital, with projectiles stopped by interceptors illuminating the night sky. Gas-rich Qatar, which lies 190 kilometres (120 miles) south of Iran across the Gulf, is home to the United States' largest military base in the region, Al Udeid, which hosts the regional headquarters of the Pentagon's Central Command. "The competent authorities announce the temporary suspension of air traffic in the country's airspace, as part of a set of precautionary measures taken based on developments in the region," the foreign ministry said. It added authorities were monitoring the situation "in coordination with regional and international partners". Earlier, the US embassy in Qatar advised Americans there not to go out, with other Western embassies echoing the warning. "Out of an abundance of caution we recommend American citizens shelter in place until further notice," the US embassy said on its website. Britain and Canada later cited the US security alert in their own recommendations to nationals. Iran's armed forces threatened on Monday to inflict "serious, unpredictable consequences" on the US after it joined its ally Israel's campaign against the Islamic republic, carrying out heavy strikes on three nuclear sites. Last week, dozens of US military aircraft were no longer on the tarmac at al-Udeid, according to satellite images published by Planet Labs PBC and analysed by AFP. Nearly 40 military aircraft -- including transport planes like the Hercules C-130 and reconnaissance aircraft -- were parked on the tarmac at the base, the regional headquarters of the Pentagon's Central Command, on June 5, but in an image taken on June 19, only three aircraft were visible. In Bahrain, a close neighbour of Qatar that hosts the US Fifth Fleet, the American embassy "temporarily shifted a portion of its employees to local telework", it said on X. Bahraini authorities had already told most government employees to work from home until further notice, citing "regional circumstances". Following the US warning in Doha, Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said such statements by foreign embassies "do not necessarily reflect the existence of specific or credible threats". "We would like to reassure the public that the security situation in the state remains stable," he wrote on X. "Qatar continues to exert intensive diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region." On Sunday, the US State Department advised Americans worldwide to "exercise increased caution" because of the war between Israel and Iran. After Israel's first strikes on Iran on June 13, the US embassy in Qatar had told its staff and other Americans to exercise caution and "limit non-essential travel to Al Udeid Air Base".
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