President Joseph Aoun in Baabda on Feb. 11, 2025. (Credit: Anwar Amro/AFP)
President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam strongly condemned the Iranian attack on a U.S. base in Qatar on Monday evening, in retaliation for the U.S. strikes on Sunday against Iranian nuclear facilities.
In a statement, the president described this attack as a “violation of the sovereignty of a brotherly state” and warned that it was “likely to increase tensions in the region and broaden the scope of military confrontations.”
Aoun warned against “the negative consequences of this act on ongoing efforts to halt the escalation and resume dialogue,” stating that “only the resumption of negotiations will allow for the appropriate solutions to restore peace and stability in the region.”
The president also said that “Qatar has always played a positive role in resolving conflicts in the region in recent years and continues to do so.” He told the emirate, on behalf of Lebanon, “all necessary solidarity and support to preserve its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the security of its brotherly people.”
On X, Salam stated, “I condemn with the greatest firmness the aggression suffered by the brotherly state of Qatar, and I affirm Lebanon’s full solidarity with its government and people. I pray to God to protect it and its inhabitants from any harm.”
At the time of the Iranian attack on the American base at al-Udeid in Qatar, Salam was on board a plane to Qatar. The flight was diverted to Bahrain, a source close to the Grand Serail confirmed to L'Orient-Le Jour.
The presidency reported that the president contacted Salam in the evening to ensure his safety after the plane carrying him was diverted. According to the statement, the two officials also conducted an assessment of the recent developments.
Iran claimed that six Iranian missiles hit the American base in Qatar. The number of missiles used “was the same as the number of bombs the United States had used to attack Iranian nuclear facilities,” stated the Iranian National Security Council.
Qatar previously said it had foiled the Iranian attack.
“Qatar's air defenses successfully intercepted a missile attack targeting the al-Udeid airbase,” the Qatari Ministry of Defense said, adding that “the incident left neither dead nor injured.”