Washington (TDI): US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday announced that Qatar will be permitted to establish an air force facility at the Mountain Home Air Base in Idaho, where Qatari pilots and F-15 fighter jets will be stationed for joint training.
The announcement came shortly after President Donald Trump signed an executive order pledging US defense of Qatar in the wake of Israeli air strikes that targeted Hamas leaders in Doha.
“We’re signing a letter of acceptance to build a Qatari Emiri Air Force facility at Mountain Home Air Base,” Hegseth said during a ceremony at the Pentagon, flanked by Qatari Defense Minister Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani.
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“The site will host a contingent of Qatari F-15s and pilots to enhance our joint training, improve interoperability, and increase combat readiness,” he said, describing the move as a reflection of the “deep and enduring partnership” between Washington and Doha.
The Mountain Home base already accommodates a Singaporean air force squadron, according to US Air Force records.
Hegseth also praised Qatar’s “substantial contribution” to recent diplomatic breakthroughs, including its mediation in the Gaza truce and hostage-prisoner swap between Israel and Hamas, as well as its role in helping secure the release of an American citizen held in Afghanistan.
Qatar’s defense minister welcomed the decision, calling it a milestone in the “strong, strategic relationship” between the two nations.
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The Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar remains the largest US military installation in the Middle East and a key hub for regional operations.
The new Idaho arrangement, reportedly initiated under former President Joe Biden’s administration, drew criticism from some conservative commentators after Hegseth’s remarks.
