The United States will allow Qatar to build and operate an air force facility at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho, marking a rare instance of a foreign nation establishing a dedicated military presence on American soil. The move underscores Washington’s growing security partnership with Doha amid ongoing regional tensions in the Middle East.
The agreement, signed Friday at the Pentagon by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Qatari Defense Minister Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, will see Qatari pilots and fighter jets train alongside their American counterparts in southwestern Idaho.
Under the deal, the base will host a dozen Qatari F-15QA fighter jets for an initial 10-year period, with an option to extend. Around 300 Qatari and U.S. Air Force personnel are expected to be stationed there. The Pentagon said the new facility will “enhance combined training, increase lethality, and improve interoperability” between the two militaries.
Secretary Hegseth praised the partnership, calling it “another example of our shared commitment to security and stability.” Qatar’s defense minister said the agreement reflects the countries’ “deep defense relationship” and will “advance our shared defense goals.”
The development follows President Donald Trump’s executive order last week pledging to guarantee Qatar’s security, declaring that any attack on the Gulf state would be regarded as a threat to “the peace and security of the United States.” The order came just weeks after Israel carried out a targeted strike in Doha, reportedly aiming to assassinate senior Hamas figures—a move that drew Trump’s ire.
Trump later received Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington, where Netanyahu publicly apologized for the incident.
Qatar has long served as a key intermediary in efforts to mediate between Israel and Hamas during the Gaza conflict. It also hosts the Al Udeid Air Base, the largest U.S. military installation in the Middle East, which briefly came under Iranian missile fire during a 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June.
Despite the countries’ close military ties, the Idaho agreement has drawn criticism from some conservative figures. MAGA activist and Trump confidante Laura Loomer accused the administration of capitulating to foreign influence.
“So we agreed to go to war for Qatar and now we are letting them train pilots on U.S. soil?” Loomer wrote on X on Friday. “The Qatari influence on the Trump administration is totally out of control.”
She added, “Why is there so much Islamic influence on the Trump administration? Will the next 9/11 be done with F-15s? I guess we are going to find out.”
The Pentagon defended the deal as a strategic measure to ensure the “combat readiness and enhanced performance” of U.S. partners in potential multinational conflicts. The Qatari squadron will operate as a separate but integrated unit under the command of the 366th Fighter Wing.
While foreign pilots have trained in the U.S. before—Singapore maintains a smaller contingent at Mountain Home—the construction of a dedicated foreign facility is considered highly unusual.
The agreement also comes as Qatar continues to expand its symbolic and material ties with Washington. Earlier this year, Doha gifted the U.S. a $400 million Boeing 747 luxury aircraft to serve as a future Air Force One, which is currently being modified by the Air Force.
Hegseth emphasized that the partnership has been built on mutual reliability. “In those moments when we needed support in the region, Qatar was there—without a doubt, without a blink—and that has meant a great deal,” he said.
