Explosions can be seen over the Qatar sky on Monday, with witnesses reporting what appeared to be missiles overhead, raising fears of a direct escalation in the region.

Qatar temporarily shut its airspace Monday as flares lit up the sky over Doha and loud explosions were heard across the capital, hours after Iran launched a retaliatory strike on Israel. It’s unclear whether the flares were part of an air defense response or missile activity.

Iran launched missiles at a US military base in Qatar on Monday, in what it said was retaliation for American strikes against its nuclear sites over the weekend. Witnesses reported hearing loud bangs in the sky above the capital, Doha, while videos showed bright flashes in the sky as air defence systems attempted to intercept missiles.