Qatar’s foreign ministry condemned Iranian attacks on Jordan, Bahrain, and Kuwait on Thursday following days of repeated strikes intended to push back against the United States’ most recent wave of attacks.
Iran, meanwhile, continues to hit out at its Gulf neighbors, threatening to escalate its attacks if the U.S. goes ahead with expected strikes on the country’s bridges and energy infrastructure.
Iran’s Drones That Russia Is Using. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Iran F-14 Tomcat Fighter. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
The statement comes as Iran attempts to strike any U.S.-linked target within its reach.
What Qatar Said
“The State of Qatar strongly condemns the repeated Iranian attacks on the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Kingdom of Bahrain, and the State of Kuwait, considering them a blatant violation of the sovereignty of these countries and a flagrant breach of international law,” the Qatari foreign ministry said.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stresses the need to spare the region the repercussions of these unjustified attacks and to maintain the course of dialogue, diplomacy, and de-escalation, thereby contributing to the consolidation of security and stability at both the regional and international levels,” it continued.
Despite Doha’s efforts to mediate peace, Iran has repeatedly targeted sites inside the country whenever it has believed that Qatar is facilitating U.S. military operations or efforts to weaken Iran’s position in the Gulf.
Some of the most significant strikes occurred long before Doha’s mediation efforts and during the opening weeks of the conflict, when Iran launched successive waves of ballistic missiles and drones against military infrastructure across the country.
On March 18, an Iranian missile knocked out 17% of the country’s liquefied natural gas export capacity.
Iran’s primary target in Qatar is the Al Udeid Air Base, southwest of Doha, which hosts the largest U.S. military installation in the Middle East. Today, though, Iran is focusing on other Gulf neighbors.
The Most Recent Gulf Strikes
Iran continued its campaign overnight into Thursday, July 16, hours after the United States completed two major waves of airstrikes against military targets throughout the country.
The strikes were just the latest in a string of retaliatory attacks following the collapse of June’s memorandum of understanding (MOU), as Washington tries to force Tehran back to the negotiating table.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Wednesday, July 15, that American aircraft had successfully struck Iranian command centers and air defense systems, as well as missile and drone sites and coastal surveillance facilities across Bandar Abbas and Tehran.
In response, Iran launched missiles and drones at Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan.
What Happened In Jordan
In Jordan, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that it had fired two waves of ballistic missiles at Prince Hassan Air Base near Azraq, also known as Muwaffaq Salti Air Base.
The IRGC said the attack was retaliation for what it called an American strike near a children’s hospital in Ahvaz earlier the same day.
Jordan’s Armed Forces later confirmed that the country’s air defenses had intercepted the incoming missiles before they reached the base and said there were no reported casualties or significant damage.
And In Kuwait
Overnight into Thursday, July 16, Iran launched fresh strikes against the Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, one of several installations in the Gulf that hosts U.S. military personnel.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) later announced that the base had been targeted because of the role it played in supporting U.S. operations in the region, and claimed that radar and air defense facilities at the base had been struck.
The General Staff of the Kuwaiti Armed Forces confirmed early on Thursday that the country’s air defense network had been activated to respond to incoming aerial threats and that interception operations were underway.
No information about specific installations being targeted was shared, nor did officials confirm that the Ali Al Salem Air Base had been hit.
Kuwait also reported no casualties or significant damage overall, suggesting that its defenses had successfully engaged the incoming drones and missiles.
As of Thursday afternoon, there is no evidence that Iranian projectiles successfully struck the base.
Bahrain
In Bahrain, air raid sirens sounded early on Thursday, July 16, as Iran continued its attacks on U.S.-linked targets. Bahrain’s Interior Ministry instructed residents to remain calm and move to the nearest safe location.
Iran had announced attacks on American military assets in Bahrain on Wednesday, but Bahraini authorities did not confirm that any missile or drone struck its target overnight.
There were also no reports of significant damage from the latest alert.
Iran Is Striking Anything Within Reach
It’s clear that Iran is deliberately targeting U.S.-linked military sites and assets in the Gulf, but there’s another reason why these three states have been targeted: they are within reach.
While Iran continues to threaten devastating retaliatory strikes against the United States and its allies, it is constrained by the range of its missiles.
Rather than striking the United States directly, Iran has focused on every major U.S.-linked military installation that falls within the reach of its long-range drones and ballistic missiles.
That includes Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and Iraq – all of which lie within roughly 2,000 kilometers of Iranian territory.
Iran’s most capable operational ballistic missiles, including the Khorramshahr-4 and Emad families, are generally assessed to have maximum ranges of around 2,000 kilometers.
That’s enough to cover the Gulf, Israel, and much of the eastern Mediterranean – but they can’t reach Europe or North America.
About the Author: Jack Buckby
Jack Buckby is a British researcher and analyst specializing in defense and national security, based in New York. His work focuses on military capability, procurement, and strategic competition, producing and editing analysis for policy and defense audiences. He brings extensive editorial experience, with a career output spanning over 1,000 articles at 19FortyFive and National Security Journal, and has previously authored books and papers on extremism and deradicalization.
