How a volatile 24 hours edged Iran and Israel to a ceasefire
Then, over the course of a dizzying 24 hours beginning on Monday, events moved even faster: a US air base came under attack, the White House mediated a ceasefire between Iran and Israel, and that deal came close to unravelling.
This is how that volatile day unfolded.
'Shelter in place'
The al-Udeid US military base in Qatar, pictured in 2004
07:00 Washington DC / 12:00 London / 14:00 Tel Aviv / 14:30 Tehran
The first signs that the conflict gripping the Middle East was about to spread to the Gulf was a calmly worded warning to US citizens in Qatar.
"Shelter in place" was the recommendation from the US government - with an attached reassurance that this was "out of an abundance of caution".
The UK issued similar advice shortly after.
It was always feasible Iran would strike back at America in Qatar. The country is home to the al-Udeid military base, a sprawling installation outside the capital, Doha, which houses thousands of troops and is where US air operations in the Middle East are orchestrated.
Leaders in Tehran had threatened retaliation for unprecedented US strikes over the weekend against three nuclear facilities in Iran, including its prized Fordo enrichment site, buried deep below a mountain.
From the bunker where he has reportedly been sheltering since Israel launched its military operation against Iran, it seemed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had issued an order: to hit back against the US at one of its most strategically important assets in the region.
FULL ARTICLE AT: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3vdpeq606do
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