What You Need To Know:
- Explosions were heard in Doha amid reports that Iran fired ballistic missiles at Al Udeid Air Base, southwest of the Qatari capital.
- US Embassy in Doha issues rare ‘shelter in place’ advisory for all American citizens. British government follows suit.
- Qatar shutters airspace, calling it a precautionary measure.
- United Arab Emirates shuts airspace in response to missile attacks on US assets in region.
- Around 100 Qatar Airways planes heading towards Doha forced to divert.
Qatar Airways flights bound for Doha have started to divert away from the Qatari capital after the US Embassy issued a rare ‘shelter in place’ alert for American citizens in the country, and airspace in the region was shut down.
In an alert posted to the embassy’s official website, it notified all American citizens in the country to shelter in place until further notice “out of an abundance of caution.” The alert did not provide any further details.
A short time later, the UK’s Foreign Office said it also recommended that all British nationals in Qatar shelter in place. The British government added it was in contact with local authorities.
Following a US security alert for US nationals in Qatar, out of an abundance of caution, we recommend that British nationals in Qatar shelter in place until further notice. Follow instructions from local authorities.
British Foreign Office
As the news started to break on Monday evening (Doha time), Qatar Airways aircraft bound for Doha started to enter holding patterns over the coast of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
No Qatar Airways planes are currently landing at Doha Hamad International Airport, and all departures have been grounded. Many flights are diverting to Dammam and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, as well as Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.
The Qatari government announced that airspace over the small but incredibly wealthy country had been shuttered, saying in a statement:
“As part of the State of Qatar’s commitment to the safety of its citizens, residents, and visitors, the relevant authorities have announced a temporary suspension of air traffic in the country’s airspace.”
“This is part of a series of precautionary measures taken in response to recent developments in the region,” the statement continued.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized in a statement Monday that official authorities are closely and continuously monitoring the situation, assessing developments in coordination with regional and international partners, and will provide the public with updated information in a timely manner through official channels.”
Qatar Airways did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The news comes just a day after Qatar Airways vowed to keep on flying despite the escalating security situation in the region.
“At Qatar Airways, our unwavering commitment to integrity, reliability, and resilience continues to guide us as we navigate the evolving situation in the region,” the airline said in a statement on Sunday.
“We are continuously monitoring and assessing the situation, and reacting in real-time to ensure we operate under the safest conditions possible at all times.”
Qatar is home to a major US Air Base known as Al Udeid Air Base, located southwest of Doha, making the country a potential target for a military counterstrike by the Iranian regime.
In the last few days, satellite images showed that the US military had apparently moved key assets out of Qatar. Late last week, the US Embassy in Doha said it had temporarily limited access to Al Udeid Air Base out of “abundance of caution.”
Several foreign airlines, including American Airlines and British Airways, have suspended flights to Doha in the last few days.
A number of airlines also canceled scheduled flights to Dubai on Sunday, although these were expected to resume on Monday.
American Airlines said in a statement that it had suspended flights between Philadelphia and Doha until June 29, while the return flight is suspended until July 2. The airline did not answer questions about support for passengers booked onto codeshare services with Qatar Airways.
This is a Breaking News story… To be updated.
