The US Embassy in Qatar on Monday told Americans in the country to shelter in place, and the Middle Eastern country has temporarily closed its airspace. This comes after the US struck Iran’s nuclear facilities over the weekend.
The embassy said in an alert posted to its website, "Out of an abundance of caution we recommend American citizens shelter in place until further notice." A similar warning was issued by the UK’s Qatar embassy after the US’s notice.
Qatar's foreign ministry said in a statement regarding the airspace closure, "The competent Qatari authorities announce the temporary suspension of air traffic in the country's airspace, in order to ensure the safety of citizens, residents, and visitors," and added that it would "not hesitate to take all necessary preventive measures within this context," per Fox News.
Qatar is home to the Al Udeid Air Base, the largest US military base in the Middle East, which is where around 10,000 US soldiers are deployed.
On Sunday, the State Department warned American citizens, "There is the potential for demonstrations against U.S. citizens and interests abroad. The Department of State advises U.S. citizens worldwide to exercise increased caution."
This comes after the US struck bunker buster bombs on three Iranian nuclear sites, a move that has seen Iran vow to retaliate in response.
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