Pentagon confirms Iranian missile attacks on U.S. forces

Iran has launched retaliatory strikes against U.S. forces in the Middle East, targeting Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar in response to American airstrikes on its nuclear program.

The attack included short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles, according to a defense official.

There are no reports of U.S. casualties at this time, though the Pentagon is “monitoring this situation closely and will provide more information as it becomes available,” the official said.

Al Udeid Air Base is the largest U.S. military installation in the Middle East and was seen as a likely target for Iranian retaliation following a secret U.S. B-2 bombing mission into Iran that deployed “bunker-buster” bombs -- the Boeing-made GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator -- to destroy deeply buried sites associated with the Iranian nuclear program.

The base is the forward headquarters of U.S. Central Command and home to about 10,000 U.S. troops.

President Trump, following the strikes on the Iranian missile sites, warned that attacks on U.S. forces will be answered with military force.

Meanwhile, the Senate Armed Services Committee is slated to hear from Vice Admr. Charles Cooper, who has been nominated to run CENTCOM, potentially succeeding Gen. Michael Kurilla. If confirmed, it will be Cooper’s job to manage the U.S. military response to Iran.