Official Tashkent declares solidarity with Qatar

President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has expressed condolences to the people of Qatar in connection with the situation in the Middle East. This was reported by Uzbekistan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bakhtiyor Saidov, on his Telegram channel.

According to Saidov, he held a productive telephone conversation with Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar. The parties exchanged detailed views on the developments in the Middle East.

“We expressed our solidarity with Qatar and conveyed the sincere condolences of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan. We emphasized the importance of strict adherence to the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and non-use of force,” he said.

For reference, according to Qatar’s Ministry of Defense, on February 28 Iran launched 65 ballistic missiles and 12 unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) toward Qatar. Two missiles reportedly struck the U.S. Al Udeid Air Base. A total of 63 missiles and 11 drones were intercepted before reaching their targets.

“Due to the intensity of the attacks and their execution from multiple directions, two missiles reached the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, while one drone damaged a radar station. There were no casualties as a result of the incident,” the statement said.

It is reported that a U.S. radar station worth $1 billion was destroyed in the incident.

Earlier, it was reported that 48 Uzbek citizens returning to Tashkent were stranded at Doha airport following the temporary closure of Qatar’s airspace.

The U.S.–Israel–Iran war

Yesterday, on February 28, Israel launched unexpected airstrikes against Iran. The strikes reportedly targeted key Iranian facilities, including the presidential residence, government institutions, and nuclear sites. Iran’s Mehr news agency reported that the Iranian intelligence building in Tehran had also been attacked. The operation initiated by Israel was reportedly named “Shield of Judah.” According to preliminary sources, more than thirty missiles may have been launched at Iran.

Shortly thereafter, the Israel Defense Forces officially confirmed the attack on Iran. The Ministry of Defense also urged Israeli citizens to take shelter in safe locations. A state of emergency was urgently declared across the country.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump delivered an eight-minute statement regarding the operations in Iran, confirming U.S. involvement in the attack. He stated that the military operations against Iran were being carried out to protect the American people. In his address, he called on Iranians to overthrow the current regime. Trump also urged Iranian military personnel to surrender in exchange for “immunity” or face what he described as “certain death.”

At the same time, Iran’s former Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi addressed the Iranian people, stating that decisive moments had arrived for the country. He emphasized that this was the final battle and that the Iranian people would prevail over the Islamic Republic regime.

Soon after, Iran began launching strikes toward Israeli territory.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also confirmed the attacks in a statement. According to him, the joint operation by Israel and the United States against Iran was aimed at eliminating the threat posed by what he described as the Iranian terror regime. In his address, Netanyahu said that over the past 47 years, Iranian leadership had openly threatened Israel and the United States and pursued a policy of violence in the region.

Earlier, Iranian state television reported that Khamenei had been killed by Israel and the United States. According to Iran’s Tasnim news agency, he was killed in his office on the morning of February 28. Following the Ayatollah’s death, 40 days of national mourning and seven days of public holidays were declared nationwide.

It was also reported that during the attack on Iranian territory, four members of the Ayatollah’s family — his daughter, son-in-law, grandchild, and one of his daughters-in-law — were killed.

It should be noted that after confirmation of the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced the launch of what it described as “the most intense offensive operation in the history of the Armed Forces.”

Subsequently, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that Iran had begun new attacks against Israel and the United States.