Tehran – Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has declared that the ballistic missile strike on the U.S. Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar was not a minor incident, but a deliberate and serious message. Speaking with firm resolve, Khamenei emphasized that such actions may be repeated if necessary, asserting Iran’s capability to reach U.S. military installations and defend its sovereignty in the region at any cost.
Ayatollah Khamenei stated that Iran’s military power, built over years of struggle, is not merely symbolic but highly operational. “We’ve made it clear to our enemy: if they attack, our response will be decisive and immediate,” he warned.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in an interview with a French publication, offered conditional talks with the United States, stating that dialogue can resume if the U.S. rectifies its past mistakes, provides written guarantees against future attacks, and respects Iran’s dignity on the global stage.
Araghchi also stressed that Iran will not negotiate from a position of weakness, and that mutual respect and adherence to principles must be the foundation of any diplomatic engagement. He highlighted recent U.S. strikes that allegedly damaged Iran’s nuclear facilities, saying Iran is entitled to compensation for those losses.
The foreign minister’s remarks come in the wake of Iran’s missile attack on June 23, targeting a key U.S. communications facility at Al-Udeid Air Base near Doha, Qatar. Both Iranian state media and the U.S. Department of Defense confirmed the strike, and Satellite images revealed severe damage to the communication dome of the U.S. base. Read the full report on Iran’s missile strike here.
This event has sharply escalated tensions in the region, deepening the diplomatic rift between Tehran and Washington, while also placing Qatar in a delicate geopolitical position amid rising hostilities. This development has also put immense pressure on Qatar’s balancing act between Washington and Tehran, with reports indicating growing diplomatic strain between Doha and Tehran. Read more on the evolving Qatar-Iran relations here.
