(NewsNation) — An Iranian airstrike on a U.S. air base in Qatar on Monday again raises concerns over the extent of Iran’s missile and nuclear capabilities as its ongoing conflict with Israel in the Middle East continues.
A defense official confirmed to NewsNation that Al-Udeid Air Base was attacked by short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles. NewsNation reported Monday that Qatar’s air defense system was able to intercept all of the missiles and that there were no casualties at the base, where 10,000 American troops are stationed.
Retired Special Forces Lt. Col. Mike Nelson, who has extensive experience with U.S. Central Command, told NewsNation on Monday that several factors, including the fact that Iran communicated the strike in advance and then fired the exact number of bunker-buster bombs as the U.S. did on its weekend attack on Fordow, show Iran’s intent.
Nelson told NewsNation that Monday’s airstrike involving the air base “was a pure face-saving measure” and that Iran did not wish to escalate the conflict or cause casualties by targeting the U.S. base.
Iran’s nuclear weapons threat
International scrutiny of Iran’s nuclear and missile programs has intensified since 2024, when Israel and Iran exchanged direct missile attacks, the Council on Foreign Relations reported. However, the American foreign-policy driven think tank indicated that if Iran were able to obtain nuclear weapons, it would be broadly destabilizing to the Middle East and surrounding regions.
On June 13, the Israel Defense Forces warned that Iran is “closer than ever” to obtaining a nuclear weapon, calling it an “existential threat” to the world.
Iran does not currently have a nuclear weapon, but Western ***ysts say it has the knowledge and infrastructure to produce one “in fairly short order” if its leaders chose.
Iran has a long history of secret nuclear weapons research, the Council on Foreign Relations reported. However, as recently as October, U.S. intelligence officials told Reuters they still believed Iran had decided not to build a nuclear weapon after suspending its program in 2003.
The United States, Israel and other Middle Eastern allies view Iran as a “primary threat” to their interests in the region and see Iran’s potential acquisition of nuclear weapons as a “game-changing scenario to be steadfastly prevented.”
Iran has maintained a civilian nuclear energy program for more than 50 years and has repeatedly said that its nuclear program only serves peaceful purposes. In March, President Donald Trump and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the two sides would host bilateral talks in Oman over Iran’s nuclear program.
However, Iran announced after it attacked Israel this month that it was pulling out of nuclear talks with the U.S., which were scheduled for June 15. Trump said Iran had “missed an opportunity” to make a deal but that it may have a chance to still reach an agreement before it is too late.
A source close to the White House told NewsNation on Monday that while Trump is considering a regime change in Iran, the president would much rather strike a peace treaty than wage a potentially bloody war.
On Saturday night, however, after the U.S. attacked three key Iranian nuclear sites, Trump said Iran’s main nuclear sites had been obliterated. However, despite Trump’s claims, NBC News reported that almost 880 pounds of uranium that is enriched to 60% are publicly unaccounted for.
Trump said in an address to the nation after the strike that if Iran did not seek peace, future U.S. attacks on Iranian interests could be much more serious.
How long would Iran need to develop a nuclear weapon?
Some ***ysts have suggested that Iran could produce enough fissile material, including uranium, for a nuclear weapon in just a few months, the Council on Foreign Relations stated. Others have suggested that enough material could be developed in a matter of weeks but that actually developing a nuclear weapon would likely take longer.
In 2024, then-U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Iran could produce enough fissile material required for a nuclear weapon in one to two weeks.
However, officials warn that if Iran were able to develop a nuclear weapon and test it “in the not-too-distant future,” Iran will “overnight diminish any power that Israel or America have in the region.”
What other missiles does Iran have?
Iran has proven, based on airstrikes delivered against Israel in 2024, that it has an array of air power capabilities, including cruise and ballistic missiles as well as drones. U.S. intelligence officials have indicated that they believe Iran has the largest ballistic missile inventory in the entire Middle East. The range capability of the missiles varies from 800 miles to more than 1,200 miles.
Iran’s longest-range missiles are reportedly capable of striking targets of up to about 1,240 miles away, which would cover all of the Middle East and part of Europe. Weapons experts told the think tank that larger, more conventional warheads could kill or injure hundreds of people in a dense urban setting.
In 2022, U.S. Central Command estimated that Iran had over 3,000 ballistic missiles in its arsenal, some of which could reach Tel Aviv.
Despite its vast arsenal, Iran has not yet tested or deployed a missile capable of striking the United States, though it continues to develop long-range missiles through its space-launch program, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
NewsNation’s Andrew Dorn contributed reporting this this story
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