Journalism of Courage
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday announced that the Pentagon recently agreed to host the Qatari air force at a new joint facility. According to Hegseth, the US will host Qatari F-15s and pilots at the Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho.
“Today, we’re announcing a letter of acceptance in building a Qatari Emiri Air Force facility at the Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho,” Hegseth said.
The base “will be host to a contingent of Qatari F-15s and pilots to enhance our combined training, increase lethality, interoperability,” Hegseth added. “It’s just another example of our partnership.”
The announcement of a US-Qatari joint airbase comes days after President Donald Trump signed an executive order declaring American commitment to guaranteeing Qatar’s security.
On September 29, Trump signed the executive order stating that Washington will regard any armed attack on the territory, sovereignty, or critical infrastructure of the State of Qatar as a threat to the peace and security of the United States.
It further said that in the event of such an attack, the United States shall take all lawful and appropriate measures, including diplomatic, economic, and, if necessary, military to defend the interests of US and Qatar and to restore peace and stability.
Qatar is a key US ally in the Middle East and home to the largest American military base in the region, Al Udeid.
The 60-acre base located outside Doha was set up in 1996 and serves as the forward headquarters for US Central Command. It houses around 10,000 troops from the Qatar Emiri Air Force, the US Air Force, the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force, and other foreign forces.
US-Qatari ties had come under the spotlight after Israel launched an airstrike in Doha on September 9, targeting the senior leaders of Hamas.
