The United States and Qatar signed a letter of agreement to fly a contingent of Qatari F-15 fighter jets to a US military base.
Posted on October 10, 2025
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has announced that the United States and Qatar have signed a letter of agreement to build a Qatar Emiri Air Force facility at a US Air Force base in the western US state of Idaho.
Friday's announcement came during a meeting between Hegseth and Qatari Defense Minister Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani at the Pentagon.
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Hegseth praised Qatar's role in helping mediate ceasefire talks in Gaza, the initial phase of an agreement between Israel and Hamas taking effect on Friday.
“No one but President Trump could have achieved the peace that we believe will be lasting in Gaza, and Qatar played a substantial role from the beginning,” Hegseth said.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Saoud also praised the cooperation between Washington and Doha in advancing the ceasefire, which aims to end Israel's two-year war in Gaza. That conflict has left more than 67,190 Palestinians dead.
He said the agreement demonstrates what can be achieved when the United States works with partners in the region, including Egypt and Turkiye, with “courage and trust.”
Hegseth then moved his comments to Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho, which he said would host a contingent of F-15s and Qatari pilots to “improve our combined training, increase lethality, [and] interoperability”.
Qatar currently hosts the largest US air base in the Middle East, Al Udeid Air Base. It was also named a major non-NATO ally by US President Joe Biden in 2022.
While working as a mediator to end the war in Gaza, Qatar has twice been the target of attacks by foreign countries.
In June, Iran launched an airstrike against Al Udeid, hitting a communications dome. Tehran did not attack any other sites in Qatar outside the US base.
In September, Israel also attacked a Qatar neighborhood where a Hamas negotiating delegation was meeting. Among the dead was a member of Qatar's internal security forces.
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani condemned the attack as “state terrorism.” US President Donald Trump also criticized Israel for carrying out an attack on Qatari soil.
Weeks later, Trump signed an executive order saying Washington “will consider 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.”
“In the event of such an attack, the United States will take all legal and appropriate measures – including diplomatic, economic and, if necessary, military – to defend the interests of the United States and the State of Qatar and restore peace and stability,” their statement read.
