WASHINGTON (Realist English). The United States will allow Qatar to construct an air force facility at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho, a move that underscores the growing defence partnership between Washington and Doha.
The agreement, signed on Friday at the Pentagon by US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Qatari Defence Minister Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, will enable Qatari pilots to train alongside American forces for the next decade. The facility will house a dozen F-15QA fighter jets and roughly 300 personnel from both air forces, with an option to extend the arrangement.
“This contingent of Qatari F-15s and pilots will enhance our combined training, increase lethality, and strengthen interoperability,” Hegseth said at the signing ceremony. “It’s another example of our enduring partnership.”
The deal follows President Donald Trump’s recent executive order pledging to guarantee Qatar’s security, declaring that any attack on the Gulf state would be treated as “a threat to the peace and security of the United States.” The order came one month after Israel launched a targeted strike in Doha, reportedly aimed at senior Hamas officials — an operation that infuriated Trump and prompted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to issue a formal apology during his subsequent visit to Washington.
Qatar has been a key mediator between Israel and Hamas in negotiations to end the Gaza war, placing it at the centre of US diplomatic strategy in the Middle East.
While the move reflects Washington’s deep trust in Doha, it has also sparked criticism from within Trump’s own support base. Conservative commentator Laura Loomer, a Trump ally, condemned the agreement, writing on X: “So we agreed to go to war for Qatar and now we’re letting them train pilots on US soil? The Qatari influence on the Trump administration is totally out of control.”
The Pentagon described the initiative as essential to improving “the combat readiness and performance” of a key partner in potential multinational operations. The Qatari squadron will operate as a “separate but integrated” unit under the command of the 366th Fighter Wing.
Qatar, which already hosts the US Al Udeid Air Base — Washington’s largest military installation in the Middle East — has invested heavily in US defence and infrastructure projects. Earlier this year, Doha gifted a $400mn luxury aircraft to be converted into a new Air Force One.
Although several allied nations train on American bases, the construction of a dedicated foreign military facility on US soil remains highly unusual.
Qatar’s defence minister hailed the agreement as a milestone, saying it would “advance our shared security interests and deepen our strategic cooperation.”
“In moments when we needed support in the region, Qatar was there without hesitation,” Hegseth added. “This partnership reflects that trust.”
