WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States has authorized Qatar to build an air force facility at Mountain Home Air Base in Idaho, which will host Qatari F-15 fighter jets and pilots, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Friday.
The decision follows President Donald Trump’s executive order pledging to defend Qatar against attacks after Israeli air strikes reportedly targeted Hamas leaders in Doha. “We’re signing a letter of acceptance to build a ‘Qatari Emiri Air Force facility’ at the Mountain Home Air Base in Idaho,” Hegseth said at the Pentagon, flanked by Qatari Defense Minister Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani.
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He added that the facility would enhance combined training, boost interoperability, and increase joint operational strength between the two allies. “It’s just another example of our partnership. And I hope you know, your excellency, that you can count on us,” Hegseth said. The Idaho base currently also hosts a Singaporean Air Force squadron, according to its official site.
Hegseth praised Qatar for its “substantial role” in mediating a truce and hostage-prisoner swap between Israel and Hamas, as well as helping secure the release of a US citizen from Afghanistan. Qatar’s defense minister described the project as a reflection of a “strong, enduring partnership” and a “deep defense relationship” between the two nations.
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The United States already operates the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Washington’s largest military installation in the Middle East. However, the new deal has drawn some scrutiny online after reports that Qatar previously gifted President Trump a Boeing 747, which now serves as Air Force One.
While some critics called the arrangement “unprecedented,” Hegseth later 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.” The announcement highlights Washington’s growing military cooperation with Gulf allies as regional tensions continue to escalate following renewed conflict in Gaza.