Israel Fired Missiles from Red Sea in Strike on Doha, US Had Little Time to React — WSJ

Report by “Safarti Tarjuman” International News Desk

Israel’s strike on senior Hamas leaders in Doha was carried out using air-launched ballistic missiles fired from the Red Sea, a tactic that bypassed Saudi airspace and left the United States with almost no chance to intervene, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.

The September 2025 operation reportedly involved eight F-15s and four F-35s flying south from Israel over the Red Sea. From that position, they launched ballistic missiles across the Arabian Peninsula toward Qatar. Analysts say the approach was designed to avoid entering Saudi Arabian airspace and reduce the risk of interception or political fallout before impact.

Senior American officials told the WSJ that Washington was informed only minutes before launch. Israel provided no details of the target in advance, and US defense systems confirmed the trajectory only after space-based sensors detected the missiles’ heat signatures heading toward Doha.

Officials said the timing was deliberate, both to maintain tactical surprise and to limit the Trump administration’s ability to object. By keeping the US in the dark until the last possible moment, Israel ensured the strike could not be delayed or blocked diplomatically.

The strike, which killed top Hamas leaders in the Qatari capital, has sparked outrage across the Middle East and beyond. Qatar has since announced it will convene an emergency Arab-Islamic summit on September 14–15 to coordinate a joint response, underscoring the growing regional and global repercussions of Israel’s action.

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