How Iran’s Missile Barrage Dodged Energy Infrastructure

Iran’s missile strike on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar on June 23 was loud but calculated. Despite the scale (nearly 20 missiles, including medium-range ballistic weapons) the damage was negligible. U.S. and Qatari sources confirm that interception systems neutralized the bulk of the barrage, and the only successful impact hit a structure outside the base, with no military value and no casualties. This was not a serious attempt to degrade U.S. capabilities in the Gulf. It was theater with a purpose: to signal resolve without triggering escalation,…