WASHINGTON – The United States will allow Qatar to build an air force training facility at Mountain Home Air Base in Idaho, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Oct 10, marking a deepening of military cooperation between the two allies. Speaking at the Pentagon alongside Qatari Defense Minister Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Mr Hegseth said the new facility will host Qatari F-15 fighter jets and pilots to “enhance combined training, increase lethality, and improve interoperability” between the two countries’ forces. “It’s just another example of our partnership. And I hope you know, your excellency, that you can count on us,” he said.
The announcement follows President Donald Trump’s executive order pledging to defend Qatar against attacks after Israeli air strikes in Doha targeted Hamas leaders. The development underscores Washington’s ongoing reliance on Qatar as a strategic partner in regional security and mediation efforts. Mr Hegseth also commended Qatar’s key diplomatic role in brokering the recent truce and hostage-prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas, and for assisting the US in securing the release of a citizen from Afghanistan. Sheikh Saoud highlighted the “strong, enduring partnership” between the countries, noting that the initiative builds on their long-standing defense relationship anchored by the Al Udeid Air Base, the largest US military facility in the Middle East.
The Idaho base, which already hosts a Singaporean fighter squadron, will remain under full US control. Mr Hegseth later clarified online that “Qatar will not have their own base in the United States,” addressing social media criticism after far-right activist Laura Loomer accused the administration of “handing a base to Qatar.”Although the facility’s planning reportedly began during the previous administration, its formal approval underlines the Trump administration’s closer ties with Doha. The move comes amid renewed attention to defense cooperation between Washington and Gulf states following rising tensions in the Middle East.