FnF News
🇺🇸 FNF News | Middle East Conflict & U.S. Military Strategy
Published: June 25, 2025
Reported by: Khadija Khan, Senior Global Affairs Analyst
Missiles Rained, Ceasefire Strained: Qatar Intercepts Iran’s Retaliation as U.S. and Israel Brace for Next Strike
DOHA, QATAR — Tensions in the Gulf region reached a new boiling point this week as Qatar’s U.S.-backed air defense systems intercepted a barrage of Iranian ballistic missiles, launched in direct retaliation for last weekend’s U.S. strikes on nuclear facilities inside Iran. What followed has shaken the strategic calculus of the United States, Israel, and their regional partners.
The missile assault, dubbed Operation Glad Tidings of Victory by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was a symbolic tit-for-tat response to the Pentagon’s now-confirmed Operation Midnight Hammer—a stealth B‑2 bombing campaign that targeted Iran’s core nuclear infrastructure.
Qatar Becomes the Flashpoint
Qatar’s military, assisted by U.S. and NATO personnel, activated a multi-layered missile defense grid, including:
- Patriot missile batteries (U.S.)
- NASAMS systems (Norwegian)
- Rapier and Roland systems (UK/German)
- THAAD deployment in process (U.S.-built)
All six Iranian ballistic missiles were successfully neutralized before reaching Al‑Udeid Air Base, home to thousands of U.S. military personnel and CENTCOM’s forward command.
Though no casualties occurred, the message was clear: Iran can and will strike back.
“A Weak Response”—or the Calm Before the Storm?
President Trump, in a live statement, mocked the Iranian attack as “very weak,” claiming Tehran intentionally softened the blow to avoid escalation. But military insiders warn that Iran’s warning to Qatar prior to the strike may not indicate restraint—it may reflect confidence in its strategic reach.
Meanwhile, Israeli intelligence confirms that Iran’s new Qassem Bassir MRBM system has the accuracy and range to strike Jerusalem or Haifa if Israel resumes air raids on Syrian or Iranian positions.
Ceasefire—or Stalemate?
Trump also claimed that a mutual ceasefire agreement had been negotiated through Gulf intermediaries, reportedly involving backchannel talks between Tehran and Jerusalem. Iran’s condition: no Israeli strikes for 72 hours.
That condition, however, may have been violated when unconfirmed airstrikes lit up positions in southern Syria late Tuesday—potentially by Israeli jets operating under radar cover. Iranian officials have since gone silent, raising alarms in Washington that the ceasefire was more optical than operational.
The USS Gerald R. Ford Enters the Theater
In a powerful show of force, the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group has departed Norfolk and entered the eastern Mediterranean. The Pentagon has not confirmed whether it will operate directly within the Strait of Hormuz, but defense analysts say the deployment is clearly tied to Iran’s growing missile activity.
Diplomacy Unraveling?
European diplomats have fled Tehran. The Vienna nuclear negotiations—already on life support—are officially suspended. UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged all parties to “step back from the brink,” but has failed to convene a Security Council emergency session as of this writing.
Gulf states like Oman and the UAE are trying to salvage what they can of backdoor diplomacy. But Saudi Arabia, despite public neutrality, is rumored to be sharing radar and signal intel with the U.S. and Israel.
What’s Next?
- Hezbollah has activated launch teams along the Lebanese-Israeli border.
- Houthi drones launched from northern Yemen have entered the Red Sea airspace.
- U.S. Cyber Command is reportedly monitoring Iranian botnets targeting U.S. infrastructure.