For the first time in history: Pentagon allows Qatar to build a military base in the United States
Qatar plans to build a military facility for its air force at the US Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho — a move of historic importance. The site will host training for Qatari F-15 pilots and station modern fighter jets, marking the first time a foreign military presence is formally established on US territory. The decision reflects a new level of strategic cooperation between Qatar and the United States.
According to G.Business citing Axios, the two countries announced the plan on October 10, following Washington’s recent decision to provide Qatar with unprecedented security guarantees.
Not a classic base but under US jurisdiction
Officials clarified that the new facility will not be an independent base. It will remain under US jurisdiction on the grounds of Mountain Home Air Force Base. Talks reportedly began during Joe Biden’s administration and followed earlier agreements under Donald Trump’s first term.
In 2017, Qatar purchased 36 F-15 fighter jets worth 12 billion dollars from the United States. Because of its small territory and geographic limitations, the Gulf state has struggled to conduct regular training, which made this cooperation crucial.
A first for any US ally
Remarkably, Qatar will construct the facility from the ground up — a privilege never before granted to a US ally. Qatar’s media attaché in Washington, Ali Al-Ansari, stated that it will not be a standard Qatari air base but a shared training and interoperability center designed for long-term cooperation.
Al-Ansari explained that Qatar committed to a ten-year plan to build and maintain a specialized facility on the US base to enhance operational skills and deepen defense collaboration between the two nations.
Security pact after airstrike on Doha
In early October, Donald Trump signed a decree providing Qatar with formal security guarantees, promising diplomatic, economic, and military support. The move came after an Israeli airstrike on Doha and symbolically equated Qatar’s security with that of the United States.
This development could reshape the balance of power in the Middle East. Qatar already hosts the Al-Udeid Air Base, the forward headquarters of US Central Command (CENTCOM) — one of America’s key military hubs in the region.
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