Iran Fires Back Against U.S. Military Installations in Middle East

The U.S. bombed three nuclear facilities in Iran over the weekend, raising fears that the American military will become more involved in the conflict in the Middle East. This fear was confirmed on Monday when missiles fired from Iran reached U.S. military bases in Qatar and Iraq. There have been no casualties reported as a result of Iran's retaliation. Here is the latest on the strike on Iran.

Recapping the U.S. Strike on Iran

The news of the U.S. attack on Iran came Saturday evening when President Donald Trump announced that the American forces targeted nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. The president made the decision to drop the bombs after meeting with officials from the Department of Defense on Saturday afternoon in the Situation Room at the White House.

Trump made the announcement on his Truth Social account, confirming that all American planes had safely entered and exited Iranian airspace. It was later reported that the U.S. forces launched the bombs using two B-2 bombers.

The president later addressed the nation from the White House, praising the military's efforts for the clean operation. Trump said that the strikes "obliterated" the intended nuclear facilities; however, there have been questions about the degree of damage. Over a dozen bombs were reportedly dropped on the Fordow and Natanz sites as part of "Operation Midnight Hammer." The Isfahan site was targeted using Tomahawk missiles.

Iranian leaders criticized both the U.S. and Israel for their actions during an emergency United Nations (UN) Security Council meeting on Sunday. The officials expressed their pessimism about the chances of a diplomatic agreement being reached at this point.

The U.S. strikes on key Iranian nuclear interests come as the death toll in the broader conflict between Israel and Iran continues to increase. Iran’s Deputy Health Minister Ali Jafarian told the media on Saturday that the civilian fatality count now stands at over 430. Also on Saturday, Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB confirmed that the number of injuries is now over 3,000.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has yet to go on record about his thoughts on the U.S. involvement.

Missiles Fired at U.S. Interests in Iraq and Qatar

It did not take long for Iran to retaliate against the U.S. The Department of Defense is tracking several missiles launched from Iran toward American military installations in Qatar and Iraq. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan Caine were meeting in the Situation Room to monitor the situation as of early Monday afternoon.

The early reports indicate that 10 missiles were fired at Qatar and one at Iraq. The Qatari defense ministry confirmed that they were able to intercept the missiles, sparing the U.S. any casualties. A U.S. defense official also confirmed that Qatar was attacked using short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles.

The attacks on American forces were not unexpected. The Trump administration had been monitoring the possibility of strikes on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar since the U.S. originally hit the Iranian nuclear sites. On Monday, Qatar temporarily suspended air traffic across the country due to security concerns.

Earlier in the day, the U.S. embassy located in Qatar issued a warning to American citizens in Doha to shelter in place. It is also being reported that Iranian officials gave Qatar notice of the impending attack before launching the missiles. The notice was designed to minimize casualties while also giving Iranian officials the ability to de-escalate the situation. The number of missiles launched at Qatar was the same as the number of bombs dropped by the Americans over the weekend, further suggesting that the move was largely symbolic.

Al Udeid Air Base is the largest American military installation in the Middle East, housing about 10,000 U.S. troops. Trump toured the base last month during his whirlwind tour of the region.

While the conflict can certainly escalate in the coming hours and days, the early analysis indicates that the early attacks by Iran were merely symbolic in nature. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that his country did not want a war but could not leave what he called "aggression" against Iran unanswered.

Mixed Response by Republicans to U.S. Involvement

The Republican Party is not 100% aligned with the president in his decision to strike Iran. While some of Trump's allies were busy making the Sunday morning talk show rounds to offer their support for the administration to launch the bombs, not all of the party agrees with the decision to send the U.S into the conflict brewing in the Middle East.

Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene took to X to criticize the Trump administration for attacking Iran. This is notable as Greene has historically been one of Trump's staunchest allies.

Former Trump chief strategist Steve Bannon also warned that the American involvement in the embattled region could further distract Trump from his goals of pushing through the aggressive domestic agenda. The Trump administration is still working to garner support in Congress for its "big beautiful bill" piece of legislation.

Oil Prices Plunge After Tepid Iranian Attack

Despite fears that oil prices would soar after the U.S. inserted itself into the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, a massive selloff in the oil market picked up speed on Monday after Iran fired back against the U.S. The stock market is betting that Iran does not have the manpower to fully retaliate against the U.S, easing fears of oil flow shortages.

As of mid-afternoon Monday, U.S. crude prices fell 4.1% to land at $70.78 a barrel. The drop is a significant change from the Sunday evening oil price spike of 6%, hitting as high as $78.50 a barrel.

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