U.S. announces deal for Qatar air force facility in Idaho

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – In a major development marking a deepening of U.S.-Qatari defense cooperation, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday announced that Qatar will establish an air force facility at Mountain Home Air Base in Idaho, which will host Qatari F-15 fighter jets and pilots. The move comes days after President Donald Trump signed an executive order guaranteeing Qatar’s security following Israeli air strikes on Hamas leaders in Doha, an unprecedented attack that has shaken the regional balance of power.

Speaking alongside Qatari Defense Minister Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani at the Pentagon, Hegseth said, “We’re signing a letter of acceptance to build a Qatari Emiri Air Force facility at the Mountain Home Air Base in Idaho. The location will host a contingent of Qatari F-15s and pilots to enhance our combined training, increase lethality, and strengthen interoperability.”

“It’s just another example of our partnership,” Hegseth added, turning to Al-Thani. “And I hope you know, your excellency, that you can count on us.”

According to the Pentagon, the Idaho installation will not constitute a separate Qatari base but will function within U.S. command, similar to existing arrangements with other allies. The Mountain Home Air Base, which also hosts a Singaporean Air Force fighter squadron, will serve as a key hub for bilateral training and strategic cooperation under the new accord.

Secretary Hegseth praised Qatar’s “substantial role” as a mediator in the Israel-Hamas truce and hostage-prisoner swap talks, as well as Doha’s assistance in the release of a U.S. citizen from Afghanistan. “This initiative underscores our long-term partnership and shared interests in regional stability,” Hegseth said.

Minister Al-Thani hailed the agreement as a “reflection of the strong, enduring partnership and deep defense relationship between the two nations.” Qatar already hosts the al-Udeid Air Base, the largest U.S. military installation in the Middle East and the forward headquarters for elements of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).

Friday’s announcement follows President Trump’s signing of a sweeping executive order on October 1, pledging to regard “any armed attack on Qatari territory as a threat to the United States itself.” The decree marked an extraordinary elevation of bilateral ties, effectively placing Qatar under the U.S. security umbrella in response to the September 9 Israeli strike on Doha, which targeted senior Hamas officials.

“In light of the continuing threats to the State of Qatar posed by foreign aggression, it is the policy of the United States to guarantee the security and territorial integrity of the State of Qatar against external attack,” the order stated. It committed Washington to “take all lawful and appropriate measures — including diplomatic, economic, and, if necessary, military — to defend the interests of the United States and of the State of Qatar and to restore peace and stability.”

The executive order was a direct response to the Israeli air strike on Doha, a bold and unprecedented operation that drew international condemnation. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed conducting a “precise strike” on what it described as senior Hamas leadership in the Qatari capital, prompting widespread outrage and a fierce reaction from Doha.

According to Agence France-Presse correspondents, powerful explosions were heard in Doha around 4:00 p.m. local time, with smoke seen rising over the skyline. Within minutes, the IDF and Israel Security Agency (ISA) released a statement taking responsibility, calling the strike a “targeted operation” aimed at dismantling Hamas’s leadership infrastructure. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted defiantly on X: “Today’s action against the top terrorist chieftains of Hamas was a wholly independent Israeli operation. Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility.”

Israel justified the attack by linking the targets to the October 7, 2023 massacre and claimed to have used precise munitions to avoid civilian casualties. Nonetheless, the decision to strike in the capital of a sovereign Gulf ally not at war with Israel triggered widespread alarm and calls for restraint.

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry issued a strongly worded condemnation, describing the assault as a “cowardly Israeli attack that targeted residential buildings housing several members of Hamas’s Political Bureau.” Dr. Majed Al Ansari, Advisor to the Prime Minister and Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, denounced the strike as a “blatant violation of all international laws and norms” and a “serious threat to the security and safety of Qataris and residents in Qatar.”

Al Ansari warned that Doha “will not tolerate this reckless Israeli behavior and the ongoing disruption of regional security, nor any act that targets its security and sovereignty.” He further asserted that the attack undermined Qatar’s long-standing role as a neutral mediator in Gaza ceasefire negotiations, threatening the diplomatic framework that has facilitated humanitarian exchanges.

In a surprising reversal days later, Netanyahu reportedly called the Qatari Prime Minister from the White House, issuing an apology and pledging to prevent any recurrence. The call occurred during Netanyahu’s visit to Washington for meetings with Trump, marking a rare acknowledgment of error from the Israeli leader.

The White House confirmed the apology, noting that it came amid growing international pressure and concern that Israel’s action on Qatari soil could unravel ongoing U.S.-brokered negotiations between Israel and Hamas. Despite the apology, key figures in Netanyahu’s government defended the operation. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich wrote on X: “Terrorists have no and will have no immunity from the long arm of Israel anywhere in the world. A correct decision we made and perfect execution by the IDF and Shin Bet.”

The U.S. security guarantees announced by Trump aim to stabilize the situation and reaffirm Qatar’s centrality in American regional strategy. Washington views Qatar’s sovereignty and stability as essential to its military and diplomatic footprint across the Middle East.

While the Idaho facility was reportedly in planning since the previous Biden administration, its formalization under Trump sparked controversy across political lines. Far-right commentator Laura Loomer, typically a Trump ally, condemned the move on social media, writing, “Never thought I’d see Republicans give terror financing Muslims from Qatar a MILITARY BASE on U.S. soil so they can murder Americans.”

In response, Hegseth clarified the arrangement, writing on X: “Qatar will not have their own base in the United States — nor anything like a base. We control the existing base, like we do with all partners.”

The announcement underscores Trump’s increasingly close ties with Qatar’s leadership, which have drawn scrutiny, particularly after Doha reportedly gifted the U.S. president a Boeing 747 jet to be used as Air Force One.

Despite the political backlash, the Idaho agreement and Trump’s executive order represent a landmark in U.S.-Qatar relations, signifying a strategic merger of military cooperation and mutual defense commitments unprecedented in the Gulf region.

The partnership is also a signal to Israel and regional actors that Washington remains committed to preserving its alliances and deterring any further destabilizing actions. As tensions linger from the Israeli strike on Doha, the establishment of a Qatari facility within the U.S. symbolizes a powerful message of solidarity — one that redefines the contours of American engagement in the Middle East.