Qatar said on Monday it had shut down its airspace temporarily, hours after U.S. and British authorities contacted their citizens there recommending that they shelter in place until further notice.
Doha, Qatar © Mena Today
Qatar said on Monday it had shut down its airspace temporarily, hours after U.S. and British authorities contacted their citizens there recommending that they shelter in place until further notice.
The U.S. and British announcements, which triggered a slew of messages from many Doha-based institutions to employees and students, came as Iran repeated earlier threats to retaliate against the U.S. after strikes on its nuclear sites.
Qatar hosts Al Udeid Air Base, the largest U.S. base in the Middle East, which serves as the forward headquarters for U.S. Central Command and accommodates approximately 10,000 troops.
Two U.S. officials separately told Reuters that Iran could carry out attacks targeting American forces in the Middle East soon, with one source saying it could happen in the next day or two.
The messages from Britain and the U.S. embassy in Qatar said their recommendations were made "out of an abundance of caution" and offered no further information.
Qatar's foreign minister said on X that its airspace would be closed as part of measures taken amid developments in the region, without going into further detail.
Earlier, Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari had released a statement saying the security situation there remained stable.
Many Qatar residents were confused by what they said appeared to be mixed messaging from Qatari and U.S. embassy officials.
The Qatar campuses of American universities in Qatar sent messages to staff and students after the embassy announcement.
Texas A&M University said an evacuation of its building had been ordered, Northwestern University asked people to go home and Georgetown University said people could go home if they wished.
The American School, which is not in session, closed its campus and cancelled summer camps until further notice.
By Andrew Mills
Iran's top negotiator and its foreign minister were in Doha for talks with Qatar's prime minister on a potential deal with the U.S. to end the three-month-old war, an official briefed on the visit said on Monday, after Washington and Tehran played down hopes for an imminent breakthrough.
Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday that conclusions have been reached on many topics discussed in a potential 14-point memorandum of understanding, but this does not mean a deal to end the Middle East war is imminent.
In a post published Monday on Truth Social, President Donald Trump issued what amounts to a sweeping diplomatic ultimatum to the Arab and Muslim world: normalise with Israel through the Abraham Accords, or forfeit any role in the Iran agreement he is working to finalise.
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