Multiple Iranian missiles were launched at U.S. bases in Qatar and Iraq on Monday.
The 14 missiles were fired in retaliation for the U.S. strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities over the weekend.
In a post online, President Donald Trump said the missile attack was a “very weak response” that was expected and countered.“
I am pleased to report that NO Americans were harmed, and hardly any damage was done,” Trump said. “Most importantly, they’ve gotten it all out of their ‘system,’ and there will, hopefully, be no further HATE.”
He thanked Iran for giving the U.S. early notice, which allowed for evacuations to occur.
Trump also called on Iran to “proceed to Peace and Harmony in the Region” and said he would ask Israel to do the same.
In another post, Trump thanked the Emir of Qatar for his work to secure peace in the region. He said no Qataris were killed or wounded in the attack.
Trump confirmed there were 14 missiles fired, 13 that were knocked down and one that was “set free” because it was heading in a nonthreatening direction.
The White House and Defense Department earlier said they were closely monitoring potential threats to the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
“At this time, there are no reports of U.S. casualties,” the Pentagon said in a statement. “We are monitoring this situation closely.”
Iran confirmed it was behind the attack on U.S. forces by making an announcement on state television that said it was a “mighty and successful” response to “America’s aggression,” The Associated Press reported.
Iran said it matched the number of bombs dropped by the United States over the weekend and said it was not targeting Qatar, the AP said.
As many as 14 missiles were fired from Iran, with most headed to Qatar and one to Iraq. Qatar authorities said its forces intercepted the missiles and confirmed there were no fatalities, CNN reported.
The news of the missile launch comes just after Qatar temporarily suspended air traffic over security concerns in the region. Iraq, Kuwait, and several other Middle Eastern Countries also closed their air space on Monday.
The U.S. embassy in Qatar issued a warning to Americans in the area to “shelter in place until further notice.”
It’s unclear whether Iran will launch an additional response to U.S. bombers striking several of Iran’s nuclear sites on Saturday.
The U.S. strike was the first offensive engagement in the Israel-Iran conflict and came after days of tense deliberation between Congress and the Trump administration.
Trump said his objective was the destruction of Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity and to stop the country from posing a nuclear threat.
He celebrated the B-2 bombers successful mission, while continuing to call for peace. Trump did not shy away from offering warnings to Iran that the U.S. could continue to attack if a deal was not made.
Trump was scheduled to host a national security team meeting in the Oval Office on Monday afternoon.