The IAC between Iran and Qatar was triggered on 28 February 2026 when Iran started launching missiles against the sovereign territory of Qatar. The country hosts the biggest US air base in the Middle East, the Al Udeid Air Base. Al Udeid serves as the forward headquarters for CENTCOM.¹‘Where Are US Forces Stationed in the Middle East?’, Modern Diplomacy, 28 February 2026; L. Korte, ‘Here’s what’s going on at US bases in Middle East amid Iran attacks’, Stars and Stripes, 1 March 2026. During the drone and missile attacks on 28 February, communications equipment was damaged at Al Udeid.²M. Kelly et al, ‘U.S. troops had little protection from drone strike that killed 6, imagery shows’, The Washington Post, 4 March 2026. The initial wave of attacks also targeted a Qatari long-range early detection missile in northern Qatar. Qatar claimed to have intercepted missiles based on a pre-approved security plan.³‘Multiple Arab states that host US assets targeted in Iran retaliation’, Al Jazeera, 28 February 2026; Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Kuwait: Gulf countries targeted by Iran after US-Israeli strikes’, The Times of India, 1 March 2026. The IAC between Iran and Qatar was ongoing at the time of reporting.

• 1
  ‘Where Are US Forces Stationed in the Middle East?’, Modern Diplomacy, 28 February 2026; L. Korte, ‘Here’s what’s going on at US bases in Middle East amid Iran attacks’, Stars and Stripes, 1 March 2026.
• 2
  M. Kelly et al, ‘U.S. troops had little protection from drone strike that killed 6, imagery shows’, The Washington Post, 4 March 2026.
• 3
  ‘Multiple Arab states that host US assets targeted in Iran retaliation’, Al Jazeera, 28 February 2026; Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Kuwait: Gulf countries targeted by Iran after US-Israeli strikes’, The Times of India, 1 March 2026.