The US and UK governments have urged their citizens in Qatar to shelter in place “until further notice”, following heightened regional tensions triggered by the latest escalation between Washington and Tehran.
The US Embassy in Doha issued an online alert advising Americans to remain indoors, stating the move was made “out of an abundance of caution”. The UK Foreign Office echoed the advice shortly after, saying its update was in response to the US alert.
The warnings come in the wake of the US bombing of three nuclear-related sites in Iran on Saturday, an action that has prompted threats of retaliation from Tehran and raised fears of a broader regional escalation.
In response, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement seeking to reassure residents and visitors, asserting that the “security situation in the country is stable”. It acknowledged that multiple countries had issued precautionary advisories but insisted these “do not necessarily reflect the existence of specific threats.”
“The relevant authorities are closely monitoring the situation and are ready to take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of citizens, residents, and visitors,” the ministry said.
Qatar is home to Al Udeid Air Base, the largest US military base in the Middle East, hosting more than 8,000 American personnel. Approximately 40,000 US citizens are estimated to reside in the Gulf state.
The embassy’s alert was followed by similar warnings from other institutions in Qatar, including universities, some of which asked students to leave campuses and return home as a precaution.
The US State Department earlier this week issued a broader advisory instructing US citizens abroad to “exercise increased caution”, citing the potential for reprisals against American interests and personnel following the airstrikes on Iranian nuclear infrastructure.
Despite the tensions, US-Qatar relations remain strong. The State Department describes the bilateral partnership as “critical”, noting that Qatar plays an active financial, political, and military role in regional stability efforts.
The shelter-in-place advisories are not unprecedented, but they reflect a sharply elevated level of concern among Western governments as the Middle East teeters on the edge of a wider conflict. While no specific threats have been publicly identified in Qatar, the presence of critical US military infrastructure makes the country a potential strategic target in the event of Iranian retaliation.