Doha-bound flight diverted after Iran's attack on US airbase
A Doha-bound Qatar Airways flight has today been diverted back to the UK after Iran's attack on a US airbase in Qatar. Flight QTR36R had reached the eastern Turkish coastline at 5.56pm when it made a dramatic U-turn back to Manchester Airport.
The airline announced at 7.30pm as the plane was flying back over Croatia that it had temporarily grounded all flights after Qatar closed its airspace. Qatar Airways wrote on X: 'As a result of the closure of air traffic movement in the State of Qatar, we can confirm the temporary suspension of Qatar Airways flights.
'We are working closely with government stakeholders and the relevant authorities to support any passengers that have been impacted, and will resume operations when the airspace reopens. 'The safety of our passengers and crew remains our highest priority.'
It comes after Qatar intercepted an Iranian missile attack on the major US military base on its soil and said it could respond in kind. Bright flashes lit up the night sky and blasts echoed across wealthy Doha in an attack that followed US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend.
The missiles targeted Al Udeid Air Base, the biggest US military facility in the Middle East, in what Qatar's foreign ministry condemned as a 'flagrant violation' of its sovereignty. 'We affirm that the State of Qatar reserves the right to respond directly in a manner proportional to the nature and scale of this blatant aggression,' foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari added in a statement.
Air traffic was suspended over Qatar, neighbouring Bahrain and Kuwait. Qatar's defence ministry said there were no deaths or injuries. Qatar's interior ministry said that the security situation was 'stable' and there was 'no cause for concern'. A US defence official in Washington said Al Udeid was 'attacked by short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles originating from Iran'.
Iran's National Security Council confirmed the attack on Al Udeid, insisting it did not 'pose any threat' to Qatar. It said the number of missiles used 'was the same as the number of bombs that the US had used in attacking Iran's nuclear facilities'.
