What’s Next for Iran-Qatar Ties After Al Udeid Strike?

Iran’s decision to target the U.S. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, rather than any other country in the region, came as a major surprise—especially given the strong ties between Tehran and Doha.

The June 23, 2025 strike took place while Qatar was actively mediating between the United States and Iran to help resolve the nuclear issue.

Iran launched seven missiles at the U.S. base in retaliation for an American attack on its nuclear facilities a day earlier. Doha announced that its air defenses successfully intercepted the strikes.

Qatari Escalation

Although Iran’s National Security Council stated on the same day that the operation posed “no threat or danger to the friendly and brotherly state of Qatar or its people,” Doha escalated both its rhetoric and diplomatic actions against Tehran.

The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned the Iranian missile attack on Al Udeid Air Base, calling it “a blatant violation of the country’s sovereignty and airspace, as well as of international law and the UN Charter.”

In a statement issued on June 23, the ministry affirmed that Qatar reserves the right to respond directly in a manner proportional to the nature and scale of this “blatant aggression,” and in accordance with international law.

The following day, Qatar filed an official complaint to the United Nations and the UN Security Council, accusing Iran of violating its airspace by launching a missile strike on Al Udeid Air Base.

The complaint noted that Qatari air defenses had successfully intercepted the attack and reaffirmed Doha’s right to respond in a manner consistent with the scale of “the assault” and with international law and the UN Charter.

That same day, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Iran’s ambassador to Doha, Ali Salehabadi, and reiterated its strong condemnation of the strike, labeling it a grave breach of Qatari sovereignty, airspace, international law, and the UN Charter.

Qatari Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad al-Muraikhi told the Iranian ambassador that this violation is completely inconsistent with the principle of good neighborliness and the close ties between the two countries, especially since Qatar has consistently advocated dialogue with Iran and made sustained diplomatic efforts to bridge gaps in the region.

On June 24, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani received a phone call from Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to discuss the fallout from the missile strike on the U.S. base at Al Udeid.

During the call, the Emir reiterated Qatar’s strong condemnation of the attack, describing it as “a flagrant violation” of Qatari sovereignty and airspace, and a breach of international law and the UN Charter.

He stressed that this escalation contradicts the principles of good neighborly relations that Doha has long sought to uphold with Iran, noting that Qatar has always been “a proponent of dialogue” and has actively pursued diplomatic efforts to bridge regional divides.

President Pezeshkian expressed deep regret over the attack’s fallout, emphasizing that Doha was never the target and that Iran sees Qatar simply as a “brotherly, neighboring Muslim country.”

Qatar’s Options

Regarding Qatar’s potential responses, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani stated: “After the strike we received, we were instructed to evaluate response scenarios. However, we prioritize diplomacy and the broader interests of the region. Our message is clear: our capabilities and strength demonstrate that we can defend ourselves.”

Speaking at a press conference on June 24, he added: “We made it clear [to Iran] that we did not expect such an action, but we are handling matters with wisdom and will take all necessary diplomatic and legal measures.”

The Qatari Prime Minister affirmed that “the Iranian attacks on Qatar will negatively affect our relations with Iran, but we hope that neighborly ties will not be harmed.”

The Iranian attack on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar will impact relationship-building efforts that have been underway between the Arab Gulf states and Iran, a Gulf official told Reuters on June 23. “Iran's actions play into the hands of Israel, which wants to sow discord and derail recent improvements in relations between Iran and the Gulf countries,” the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, political analyst on Middle East affairs Imad al-Din al-Jubouri said he was surprised by Iran’s decision to target Qatar in response to the U.S. strikes.

“Iran’s targeting of Qatar is puzzling, especially since U.S. President Donald Trump, after his visit to Doha in May 2025, described Sheikh Tamim as the Arab leader most committed to protecting and preserving ties with Iran,” he told Al-Estiklal.

“Yet despite that, Iran chose Qatar for its first strike on a U.S. military base—something that will no doubt affect the bilateral relationship, especially given the historically strong ties between Doha and Tehran.”

“A more logical response would have been to strike Ayn al-Asad Base in Anbar or Harir Base in Erbil, Iraq. The largest concentration of U.S. naval forces is also in Bahrain, which is geographically closer to Iran—yet Iran targeted Qatar,” the analyst added.

“This shows the mindset of the Iranian regime lacks trust in any side. It proves that even strong relationships with Tehran remain vulnerable to Iranian violations when strategic interests are at stake.”

“Qatar’s natural response is to declare its right to retaliate at the appropriate time. However, it lacks the military capability to respond directly, so its reply will be diplomatic, and the tone of diplomacy with Tehran will no longer be the same,” al-Jubouri said.

“The Gulf and broader Arab stance has been clear, siding with Qatar. This will have long-term consequences for relations between both sides and will further isolate Iran regionally.”

The analyst also pointed to comments by the U.S. president, who said Iran had informed Washington of its intent to strike Al Udeid. “This suggests,” he noted, “that Qatar’s leadership was aware of the attack in advance, and key assets were evacuated from the base.”

Qatari Mediation

On the other hand, the Qatari Prime Minister revealed that “the United States requested that Qatar communicate with the Iranian side, and we carried out the necessary contacts, which resulted in the announcement of a ceasefire.”

“We urge both the American and Iranian sides to return to the negotiating table to reach a diplomatic solution that ensures the region’s security and stability.”

Commenting on this point, researcher Leqaa Makki from the Al Jazeera Center for Studies stated that “the ceasefire decision announced by Trump was not spontaneous, but rather the result of prior negotiations that took place before Iran’s strike on Al Udeid Base in Qatar.”

Speaking to Al Jazeera on June 23, Makki explained that “the agreement was part of a sequence in which Iran would strike Al Udeid to save face with the U.S., followed by President Trump announcing a ceasefire.”

“Iran specifically targeted Al Udeid because it houses the U.S. Central Command in the region.”

“Iran’s message was that it had hit a highly strategic base in response to the U.S. attacks on its nuclear facilities,” he added.

For his part, Dr. Ali al-Hail, professor of political science at Qatar University, argued that “the Iranian strike on Qatar won’t damage relations between the two countries. The aim was to allow Iran to save face—as Trump himself stated—and the strike caused no injuries or significant damage.”

“Iran may have chosen Qatar because it hosts the largest U.S. military base in West Asia. The attack was symbolic, although it did violate Qatari airspace, which deeply upset us. We strongly condemned it as a breach of national sovereignty and international law,” he told Al-Estiklal.

“Mediation is one of the key strategic pillars of Qatari foreign policy. Doha will continue playing the role of mediator between Iran and Israel, and between Tehran and Washington, because Qatar is invested in the political, economic, investment, and financial stability of the Gulf region.”

Three Iranian officials familiar with the plans told The New York Times that Iran gave advanced notice that attacks were coming, as a way to minimize casualties.

The officials stated that Iran needed to symbolically respond to the U.S., while at the same time attacking in a way that would allow all sides a path to de-escalation.

The strike was limited in scope and echoed Iran’s response in 2020 to the U.S. assassination of a top Iranian general.

Axios, citing an unnamed source, also reported that Iran coordinated its strike on Al Udeid Air Base with Qatar, and that the Trump administration was informed in advance.

Immediately after the Iranian strike, President Trump confirmed that Iran had notified the U.S. ahead of the missile launch on its base in Qatar, something that helped prevent any loss of life.

Just hours later, Trump announced a full ceasefire between Iran and “Israel,” after both sides reached out to him expressing their willingness to end the 12-day war.