Türkiye says no impact on its troops from Iran’s missile strikes on US bases

ANKARA

Türkiye’s National Defense Ministry said Monday that its troops in the region were not affected by Iran’s recent missile attacks targeting US military bases in Qatar and Iraq.

In a statement, the ministry said there were “no adverse effects” on Turkish units or elements deployed in the area and stressed that necessary security measures had been taken.

“Developments are being closely monitored,” the statement added.

Iran launched a barrage of missiles at the U.S. military’s Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar on Monday, marking a dramatic escalation in tensions following the U.S. targeting of three Iranian nuclear sites in Iran late Sunday.

The strikes, announced by Iranian state television Press TV, marked the start of what Iranian officials are calling Operation Bashayer Al-Fath, or Glad Tidings of Victory.

“Iranian Armed Forces carried out a destructive and powerful missile attack on Al Udeid base in Qatar in response to U.S. aggression,” according to Iranian media.

The number of missiles launched was equal to “the number of bombs the U.S. used in its attack on our nuclear facilities,” Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which claimed responsibility for the attack, said the strikes were a direct message to Washington and its allies.

“Our message to the White House and its allies is clear — Iran will not leave any aggression against its sovereignty and land unanswered,” the corps said in a statement.

Qatar’s Defense Ministry said its air defenses intercepted the missile attack targeting the US' Al Udeid Air Base, and no casualties were reported.

The official IRNA news agency also reported that simultaneous missile attacks had been launched towards other US bases in Iraq without providing further details.