WASHINGTON (TNND) — Alongside Qatari Minister of Defense, Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced Friday an agreement to build a Qatari Air Force facility at the Mountain Home Air Force base in Idaho.
Hegseth said the facility will allow pilots from Qatar’s Air Force to train with American military personnel.
Pilots to enhance our combined training, increase operability. It’s just another example of our partnership,” Hegseth said.
During the announcement, Hegseth also praised Qatar for playing a substantial role in the talks that led to the Gaza peace deal between Israel and Hamas.
What we believe will be a lasting peace in Gaza and Qatar played a substantial role from the beginning. Working with our folks to ensure that came about, so I want to thank you,” said Hegseth.
The new arrangement serves as just the latest in a series of actions, strengthening the alliance between the two countries. Including Qatar, which hosts the largest U.S. military installation in the Middle East. Plus, President Donald Trump’s September executive order, which pledged to defend Qatar.
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,” part of the order reads.
Administration officials who actively worked to forge that alliance include U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and envoy Jared Kushner. Both worked closely with Qatari and Israeli officials to mediate a peace deal.
We couldn’t have achieved it without the extraordinary help of President Trump and his team. Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said this week.
Also, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who went with President Trump to the Middle East in May, where Qatar finalized billions of dollars in economic agreements with the U.S., including $96 billion for Boeing jets and over $40 billion for defense systems.
We’re going to help each other. The United States is in a very strong position militarily. We have the best equipment anywhere in the world,” Trump said during the May trip.
While no country has its own independent military bases in the U.S., some foreign military forces are granted facilities to support their forces. Aside from Qatar, Singapore is also stationed at the same base in Idaho.
