Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced Friday that the Pentagon agreed to host a new Qatar Air Force facility at a U.S. base in Idaho after the Middle Eastern country played a significant role in negotiating the deal between Israel and Hamas.
“The location will host a contingent of Qatari F-15s and pilots to enhance our combined training, increase lethality, interoperability. It’s just another example of our partnership,” Hegseth added. “And I hope you know, your excellency, that you can count on us.”
“The United States shall regard any armed attack on the territory, sovereignty, or critical infrastructure of the State of Qatar as a threat to the peace and security of the United States,” the order said, in part. That came after an Israeli military strike in Doha, the capital city, that targeted the alleged leadership of the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas.
The order also stated that “in the event of such an attack, the United States shall take all lawful and appropriate measures—including diplomatic, economic, and, if necessary, military—to defend the interests of the United States and of the state of Qatar and to restore peace and stability.”
Hegseth also said Friday that Qatar played a significant role in helping broker a peace deal between Israel and terrorist group Hamas, which was announced earlier this week and would be carried out in several phases.
Trump announced Wednesday that Israel and Hamas had agreed to a cease-fire after more than two years of fighting following the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack in Israel that left more than 1,200 Israeli civilians dead and 250 hostages kidnapped. The first part of the peace deal calls for Hamas to release all the hostages and for Israel to withdraw its forces from Gaza.
Also Friday, the Pentagon chief also made reference to Qatar’s support of U.S. military assets in the Middle East as it launched several airstrikes against Iranian nuclear facilities in June. Qatar also hosts a number of U.S. troops, namely at its Al Udeid Air Base.
“We saw in Midnight Hammer, in those moments when we needed support in the region, Qatar was there without a doubt,” Hegseth said.
In January 2022, President Joe Biden named Qatar as a major non-NATO ally, in part due to its help during America’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. Qatar also had served as a go-between with the Taliban for the past several administrations as they tried to wind down the war.
“Qatar is a good friend and a reliable partner,” Biden said at the time, hours before officially informing Congress of the designation. “It’s long overdue.”