Iran retaliated on Monday for the United States’ recent strike on its nuclear infrastructure by launching a wave of missiles at American military installations across the Middle East.
An Israeli official reported that Iran fired over ten missiles targeting locations in Qatar, while at least one missile was directed at a site in Iraq.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council confirmed the launch in an official announcement, asserting that the number of missiles fired matched the number of bombs dropped by the U.S. during Saturday’s operation.
“The base that was targeted in the attack by the powerful Iranian forces was far from urban facilities and residential areas in Qatar,” the statement said.
“This action did not pose any threat to our friendly and brotherly country, Qatar, and its noble people.”
In a separate declaration, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated it had carried out a “devastating and powerful missile attack” against the Al Udeid Air Base, located in Qatar.
“This base is the headquarters of the Air Force and the largest strategic asset of the US terrorist army in the West Asia region,” the IRGC statement said.
Iran “will not leave any attack on its territorial integrity, sovereignty, and national security unanswered under any circumstances,” the statement stressed.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry responded by confirming that its air defense systems had intercepted the incoming missiles, and thankfully, no injuries or fatalities occurred.
Qatar, which often serves as a diplomatic go-between in the region, issued a strong condemnation of Iran’s missile barrage and urged all parties to return to the negotiating table.
The detailed response from Qatar was issued within minutes of the attack, indicating it may have been written ahead of time in anticipation of the event.
The intensity of Iran’s response—particularly whether any American personnel were harmed—will play a key role in determining President Trump’s next steps and whether the United States becomes more deeply involved in the broader conflict between Israel and Iran.
As the missile attack was taking place, President Trump was in a strategy meeting at the White House with senior national security officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine.
The president had previously cautioned that any counterattack would be answered with a level of force “far greater than what was witnessed” during the strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites.
“The White House and the Department of Defense are aware of, and closely monitoring, potential threats to Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar,” a senior White House official told Axios.
{Matzav.com}
The Israeli military has struck the gates of Iran’s notorious Evin prison and damaged parts of the facility as Tel Aviv continues to target Tehran with missile strikes. Iranian state media claims the situation on the ground is “under control” following the attack, which Israel’s defense minister claimed sought to hit “regime targets and agencies of government repression.”
Evin prison has been used for decades to house political prisoners and opponents of the Iranian regime as well as acting as the headquarters of the country’s powerful Basij militia and its Revolutionary Guard Corps. Family members of those imprisoned at Evin say the strike puts their loved ones in “mortal danger.”
WATCH:
“This strike is completely irresponsible. … This is really the worst thing that could have happened,” French national Noemie Kohler, whose sister is jailed there, told Agence France-Presse. “We have no news, we don’t know if they are still alive, we’re panicking.” Power infrastructure in northern Tehran was also damaged by the strikes. Read more at BBC.
Israel’s Defense Minister, Yisroel Katz, responded Monday to a series of missile attacks launched toward Israel by announcing that the Israeli Air Force had initiated major strikes on high-level targets within Tehran.
“The IDF is now striking with unprecedented force at regime and suppression entities deep in Tehran,” Katz stated. “At the command center, I watched the impressive performance of the Air Force closely, along with the Chief of Staff. Soon, images will be released illustrating the depth of the damage.”
He went on to stress that any attack on Israeli civilians would come at a steep cost for Iran’s leadership. “For every missile fired at the Israeli home front, the Iranian dictator will be severely punished, and the strikes will continue with full force. We will keep working to protect the home front and defeat the enemy until we achieve all our war objectives,” he said.
One of the locations reportedly hit during the strikes was the front entrance of Evin Prison, a notorious penitentiary in Tehran known for imprisoning political dissidents, academics, dual nationals, and members of the press. The facility has long been a symbol of the regime’s repressive tactics and has drawn international condemnation for its treatment of detainees.
According to reports from Iran International, a dissident media outlet, the objective of the strike might have been to damage the prison’s perimeter and potentially enable prisoners to escape. Both the United States and the European Union have sanctioned the facility for its involvement in widespread human rights abuses.
In a broader campaign to establish air dominance over Iran, the IDF also launched overnight strikes on six separate airports located in the western, eastern, and central regions of the country.
These coordinated attacks led to the destruction of key infrastructure, including airport runways, underground hangars, a refueling aircraft, and multiple warplanes—specifically F-14s, F-5s, and AH-1s—that were operated by the Iranian regime.
According to intelligence briefings, these aircraft had been designated for countering Israeli incursions. The Air Force’s offensive reportedly crippled Iran’s ability to launch aircraft from those bases, significantly impairing the country’s military response capabilities.
{Matzav.com Israel}New York is moving ahead with plans to construct a new nuclear power plant — the first large-scale project of its kind in the U.S. in over a decade and a half — with the capacity to supply electricity to a million households, Governor Kathy Hochul announced.
In a Monday interview with the Wall Street Journal, Hochul disclosed that she had instructed the New York Power Authority to expand the state’s nuclear generation by at least 1 gigawatt.
According to Hochul, the Power Authority will take the lead in identifying a suitable location in upstate New York and will oversee the development of a new nuclear reactor design.
She also noted that the agency could choose to move forward independently or bring in private-sector partners for the project.
“I’m going to lean into making sure that every company that wants to come to New York and everyone who wants to live here will never have to worry about reliability and affordability when it comes to their utility costs,” Hochul told the outlet.
{Matzav.com}
At the direction of President Trump, Israel carried out a series of airstrikes targeting Iranian air defense systems in the two days leading up to the United States’ assault on Iran’s underground Fordow nuclear facility, according to three officials from both the U.S. and Israel who spoke to Axios.
Trump’s groundbreaking decision to engage militarily alongside Israel against Iran was the product of long-standing collaboration between the two nations. Though the relationship had its challenges, the coordination around Iran’s nuclear threat intensified in the lead-up to the strike.
In the critical moments before the operation, Israel played a hands-on role in preparing the battlefield for the American military.
“I want to thank and congratulate Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu,” Trump declared in a televised address on Saturday following the strike announcement.
“We worked as a team like perhaps no team has ever worked before, and we’ve gone a long way to erasing this horrible threat to Israel.”
Trump’s directive to Netanyahu came in the past week, following his final determination to proceed with military action unless an unexpected diplomatic breakthrough presented itself.
“How can we help?” Netanyahu asked during their exchange, according to Israeli sources.
Trump’s response was a clear call to action: he requested that Israel’s air force disable as many air defense systems in southern Iran as possible to ensure safe passage for American B-2 bombers.
Following that request, the U.S. handed over a list of the specific targets it wanted Israel to neutralize before the strike, an Israeli official revealed to Axios.
Two days before the operation, Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz held a joint call with Vice President Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to finalize their operational coordination.
“They made it clear to us in that call that they were moving forward with the operation,” said an Israeli official involved in the discussion.
“In the 48 hours before the U.S. operation, the IDF conducted several strikes in the area to degrade Iranian defenses,” the official added.
Those Israeli airstrikes were concentrated in Iran’s south and specifically aimed at weakening Tehran’s air defense network, reducing the danger faced by incoming U.S. bombers carrying massive 30,000-pound bunker-buster munitions for use against the heavily fortified Fordow site.
“We didn’t push the U.S. into this conflict. We were cautious not to give the impression that we were steering them into war,” one Israeli official emphasized in comments to Axios.
“But luckily for us, God hardened Pharaoh’s heart — [Iran’s Supreme Leader] Khamenei acted like an idiot and refused any proposal from the U.S.,” the official continued.
After the American bombers completed their mission and began flying back to the U.S., Trump personally phoned Netanyahu to provide a briefing on the strike’s outcome, officials from both nations confirmed.
During the call, Trump made clear that with Iran’s nuclear infrastructure now eliminated, his administration’s objective is to negotiate a deal with Tehran and bring about a stable peace.
“The president doesn’t want to continue strikes on Iran,” a U.S. official said. “He’s ready to do it if the Iranians retaliate against U.S. forces, but he told Netanyahu that he wants peace.”
That sentiment was echoed by an Israeli official, who acknowledged receiving the message from Trump, but noted the uncertainty of what lies ahead. “We still don’t know how the Iranians are going to respond — and that could change everything.”
“But the Americans made it clear to us they want to close this round. They don’t mind if we continue our strikes, but when it comes to them, they’re done.”
{Matzav.com}