According to The New York Times, citing three Iranian officials, Tehran had warned Qatari authorities ahead of the missile strike on Al-Udeid Air Base to minimize casualties. Iran aimed to retaliate for the U.S. strike on its nuclear facilities while also preventing escalation. This mirrors a similar approach taken in 2020 when Iran informed Iraq ahead of retaliatory strikes following the killing of General Qassem Soleimani. Despite the warning, Qatar strongly condemned the attack as a blatant breach of its sovereignty.