In public, Qatar was insisting on the right to defend itself after Iran attacked a U.S. military site in the emirate. Behind the scenes, it was already mediating a truce between Israel and Iran.

President Donald Trump announced the ceasefire hours after Iran launched a strike against a U.S. air base in Qatar in retaliation for the U.S. bombing of its nuclear sites.

The U.S. Embassy in Qatar warned American citizens to "shelter in place until further notice." The embassy said in its June 23 alert that it was acting "out of an abundance of caution" but gave no other details. Qatar is home to the Al Udeid Air Base, the largest U.S. air base in the Middle East.

The United States Embassy in Qatar has issued a warning to Americans to “shelter in place” as tensions in the region continue to escalate. “Out of an abundance of caution, we recommend American citizens shelter in place until further notice,

Qatar suspended air traffic on Monday after the US and UK governments told citizens based in the Gulf state to shelter in place, amid fears that Iran will target US military assets in retaliation for strikes on its nuclear facilities.