In a significant move reflecting deepening military ties, U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Friday that Qatar will be permitted to construct a dedicated air force facility at the Mountain Home Air Base in Idaho. The site will host Qatari F-15 fighter jets and pilots, strengthening joint training and defense cooperation between the two nations.
The announcement follows U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent executive order pledging to defend Qatar against external attacks. The order came shortly after Israeli airstrikes targeted Hamas leaders in Doha, highlighting Qatar’s strategic role in Middle Eastern geopolitics.
“We’re signing a letter of acceptance to build a Qatari Emiri Air Force facility at Mountain Home Air Base in Idaho,” said Hegseth at the Pentagon, standing alongside Qatari Defence Minister Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. “The location will host a contingent of Qatari F-15s and pilots to enhance our combined training, as well as increase lethality and interoperability. It’s just another example of our partnership. You can count on us.”
The Idaho air base, which already hosts a Singaporean fighter squadron, will now serve as a new hub for U.S.–Qatar defense collaboration.
Hegseth also expressed gratitude to Qatar for its instrumental role in mediating peace efforts that led to a truce and hostage–prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas, as well as for assisting in the release of a U.S. citizen from Afghanistan.
In response, Sheikh Saoud praised the “strong, enduring partnership” between Doha and Washington, calling it a “deep defense relationship built on trust and shared vision.”
Qatar is already home to Al Udeid Air Base—the largest U.S. military installation in the Middle East—making this Idaho project another milestone in bilateral defense relations.
Still, the development has drawn mixed reactions online. Critics, including far-right activist Laura Loomer, questioned the wisdom of allowing a foreign military facility on U.S. soil. Hegseth quickly clarified, “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.”
Beyond the political noise, the move underscores the evolving nature of modern diplomacy—where strategic trust, shared defense goals, and mutual benefit define the alliances of tomorrow.
