Zürcher Nachrichten - Iran attacks US base in Qatar, Trump says time to make peace

EUR -
AED 4.278562
AFN 80.439798
ALL 97.636168
AMD 447.169487
ANG 2.084779
AOA 1068.191957
ARS 1483.72337
AUD 1.785183
AWG 2.096778
AZN 1.985098
BAM 1.956525
BBD 2.351071
BDT 141.362366
BGN 1.957431
BHD 0.439233
BIF 3470.285525
BMD 1.164877
BND 1.494654
BOB 8.045981
BRL 6.47299
BSD 1.164431
BTN 100.244134
BWP 15.633791
BYN 3.810712
BYR 22831.579684
BZD 2.338966
CAD 1.598275
CDF 3361.833794
CHF 0.932315
CLF 0.029216
CLP 1121.158148
CNY 8.368124
CNH 8.363761
COP 4672.995328
CRC 587.617676
CUC 1.164877
CUP 30.869228
CVE 110.305861
CZK 24.622929
DJF 207.146735
DKK 7.463411
DOP 70.326051
DZD 151.713943
EGP 57.558604
ERN 17.473148
ETB 161.791734
FJD 2.623071
FKP 0.868492
GBP 0.865556
GEL 3.157063
GGP 0.868492
GHS 12.139497
GIP 0.868492
GMD 83.293695
GNF 10103.74281
GTQ 8.940312
GYD 243.620246
HKD 9.142918
HNL 30.475289
HRK 7.538845
HTG 152.886635
HUF 399.039732
IDR 18994.476445
ILS 3.910747
IMP 0.868492
INR 100.342289
IQD 1525.365053
IRR 49055.85197
ISK 142.033977
JEP 0.868492
JMD 186.208979
JOD 0.825902
JPY 172.97481
KES 150.443546
KGS 101.868538
KHR 4666.768811
KMF 495.651804
KPW 1048.430728
KRW 1619.073489
KWD 0.355951
KYD 0.970359
KZT 620.749949
LAK 25111.302179
LBP 104333.048921
LKR 351.310139
LRD 233.46849
LSL 20.616737
LTL 3.439578
LVL 0.704622
LYD 6.333346
MAD 10.5293
MDL 19.807337
MGA 5181.91958
MKD 61.582813
MMK 2445.37205
MNT 4177.975193
MOP 9.413968
MRU 46.320159
MUR 53.232587
MVR 17.945955
MWK 2019.147969
MXN 21.807397
MYR 4.941991
MZN 74.504928
NAD 20.616737
NGN 1780.420371
NIO 42.855875
NOK 11.8297
NPR 160.390415
NZD 1.949144
OMR 0.447877
PAB 1.164431
PEN 4.144835
PGK 4.821786
PHP 66.445688
PKR 331.630048
PLN 4.250868
PYG 9012.338512
QAR 4.233768
RON 5.074432
RSD 117.157308
RUB 91.446375
RWF 1682.637758
SAR 4.36955
SBD 9.667132
SCR 17.104812
SDG 699.507822
SEK 11.25107
SGD 1.494723
SHP 0.91541
SLE 26.617048
SLL 24426.882668
SOS 665.446507
SRD 42.962995
STD 24110.591973
SVC 10.188774
SYP 15146.223511
SZL 20.612636
THB 37.706947
TJS 11.207652
TMT 4.088717
TND 3.423168
TOP 2.728255
TRY 47.03889
TTD 7.904928
TWD 34.183342
TZS 3035.420109
UAH 48.629314
UGX 4172.545669
USD 1.164877
UYU 46.927384
UZS 14739.460055
VES 136.249723
VND 30473.169619
VUV 139.450355
WST 3.067463
XAF 656.205717
XAG 0.030346
XAU 0.000347
XCD 3.148137
XDR 0.817485
XOF 656.200081
XPF 119.331742
YER 281.142633
ZAR 20.635735
ZMK 10485.294495
ZMW 26.810932
ZWL 375.089762
  • CMSC

    0.0900

    22.314

    +0.4%

  • CMSD

    0.0250

    22.285

    +0.11%

  • RBGPF

    0.0000

    69.04

    0%

  • SCS

    0.0400

    10.74

    +0.37%

  • RELX

    0.0300

    53

    +0.06%

  • RIO

    -0.1400

    59.33

    -0.24%

  • GSK

    0.1300

    41.45

    +0.31%

  • NGG

    0.2700

    71.48

    +0.38%

  • BP

    0.1750

    30.4

    +0.58%

  • BTI

    0.7150

    48.215

    +1.48%

  • BCC

    0.7900

    91.02

    +0.87%

  • JRI

    0.0200

    13.13

    +0.15%

  • VOD

    0.0100

    9.85

    +0.1%

  • BCE

    -0.0600

    22.445

    -0.27%

  • RYCEF

    0.1000

    12

    +0.83%

  • AZN

    -0.1200

    73.71

    -0.16%

Iran attacks US base in Qatar, Trump says time to make peace
Iran attacks US base in Qatar, Trump says time to make peace / Photo: ATTA KENARE - AFP

Iran attacks US base in Qatar, Trump says time to make peace

Iran announced it had launched missiles at a US base in Qatar Monday in retaliation for American strikes on key nuclear facilities, with US President Donald Trump shrugging off the response as "very weak" and saying it was now time to make peace.

Text size:

A US defence official said no one was hurt in the attack -- which Trump said Iran had given advanced notice of -- and oil prices sank afterwards as traders breathed a sigh of relief at what one analyst called the "somewhat measured" response.

Qatar, which lies 190 kilometres (120 miles) south of Iran and is home to the largest US military facility in the Middle East, said its "air defences successfully intercepted a missile attack targeting Al Udeid Air Base".

Iran's National Security Council confirmed having targeted the base "in response to the US aggressive and insolent action against Iran's nuclear sites and facilities".

In its statement, the council said the number of missiles used "was the same as the number of bombs that the US had used", in a signal that it had calibrated its response to be directly proportional.

After more than a week of Israeli strikes on nuclear and military targets across Iran, the United States joined its ally's campaign on Sunday, carrying out attacks on three key Iranian nuclear facilities, including on an underground uranium enrichment facility at Fordo using massive bunker-busting bombs.

"Iran has officially responded to our Obliteration of their Nuclear Facilities with a very weak response, which we expected, and have very effectively countered," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform after the attack, thanking Tehran "for giving us early notice, which made it possible for no lives to be lost, and nobody to be injured".

Adding that Iran had "gotten it all out of their 'system'," he said: "Perhaps Iran can now proceed to Peace and Harmony in the Region, and I will enthusiastically encourage Israel to do the same."

The New York Times, citing Iranian officials, reported that the response had been designed to allow "all sides an exit ramp", drawing a parallel to a similar Iranian attack on a US base in Iraq following Washington's assassination of top Iranian general in 2020.

With international concern mounting that Israel's campaign in Iran could lead to a regional spillover -- concern that only intensified after the US strikes -- French President Emmanuel Macron said after the Iranian retaliation that "the spiral of chaos must end".

- 'Right to respond' -

But Qatari foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari said his country "reserves the right to respond directly in a manner proportional to the nature and scale of this blatant aggression".

Its much larger neighbour Saudi Arabia, historically a rival of Iran, condemned Tehran's attack and offered "all its capabilities to support the sisterly State of Qatar in any measures it takes".

AFP reporters heard blasts in central Doha and in Lusail, north of the capital, on Monday evening, and saw projectiles moving across the night sky.

The US defence official said Al Udeid was "attacked by short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles", and Ansari said it had been evacuated as a precaution ahead of time.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps said six missiles had hit the base, according to state media.

Iranians gathered in central Tehran on Monday night to celebrate the attack, images on state TV showed, with some waving the flag of the Islamic republic and chanting "Death to America".

Earlier in the day, Qatar had announced the temporary closure of its airspace in light of "developments in the region", while foreign embassies there including that of the United States had warned their citizens to shelter in place.

After the attack, Qatar said "the security situation in the country is stable, and there is no cause for concern".

- Tehran strikes -

Just as Iran was announcing the new attacks, blasts were heard in the north of Tehran, according to an AFP journalist, who reported yellow flashes typical of Iranian air defences in the sky over the capital shortly before 9:00 pm (1730 GMT).

Earlier in the day Israel reported carrying out what it said were its most powerful strikes yet on Tehran.

Iran, in turn, fired missile barrages at Israel.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the military hit sites in Tehran including Evin prison, which Katz said "holds political prisoners and regime opponents", as well as command centres for the domestic Basij paramilitary and the Revolutionary Guards.

Iranian media and the Israeli military said Israel also struck Fordo on Monday "in order to obstruct access routes" to the site.

Israeli strikes on Iran have killed more than 400 people, Iran's health ministry has said. Iran's attacks on Israel have killed 24 people, according to official figures.

China urged both Iran and Israel to prevent the conflict from spilling over, warning of potential economic fallout.

- Oil prices fall -

Oil prices sank more than six percent on Monday after the attack.

Around 1815 GMT, futures for West Texas Intermediate fell 6.5 percent to $69.96 a barrel, while Brent oil futures dropped 6.4 percent to $72.07 a barrel, its lowest level in 10 days.

John Kilduff of Again Capital described the Iranian action as "somewhat measured".

"This is a face-saving measure by the Iranians and hopefully the diplomatic off-ramp will be taken," Kilduff said.

On Sunday, after the Pentagon stressed the goal of US intervention was not to topple the Iranian government, Trump had openly toyed with the idea.

"If the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a Regime change???" Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.

burs-smw/dcp

G.Kuhn--NZN