The United States has finalized an agreement to allow Qatar to build a new air force facility at Mountain Home Air Force Base in southwestern Idaho, where Qatari pilots will train to fly F-15 fighter jets. This move, announced by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday, during a meeting with Qatari Defense Minister Saoud bin Abdulrahman al-Thani at the Pentagon, strengthens the military partnership between the two nations and follows Qatar's key role in mediating the recent Israel-Hamas ceasefire.
“Today, we’re announcing a letter of acceptance in building a Qatari Emiri Air Force facility at the Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho,” Hegseth announced alongside his Qatari counterpart, Minister of Defense Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman al-Thani
Hegseth’s announcement added some additional military cooperation to the agreement. He began by noting we are “signing an additional agreement here with Qatar, and it’s been an interesting couple of weeks, I will say. Your Excellency. Yes. We’re glad to welcome you here. We’re grateful for the strong partnership that we have, the way you support our troops at Al Udeid” – referring to the massive U.S. military base in Qatar.
“Your Excellency, the line of communication we’ve had together, which has been robust ever since the beginning of this administration, and then especially since the events that have transpired over the last month. We want to thank you. I also want to thank you for the release of the Americans detained in Afghanistan, the American Amir Amiri, on September 28th,” Hegseth continued.
He added: "Qatar mediated that, just like you have been a core part of what has unfolded in Gaza—a historic moment. No one other than President Trump could have achieved the peace that 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 for that historic peace.
"I look forward to joining the President as that gets—it’s already been delivered, but as that’s formally signed as well. And I’m also proud that today we’re announcing—we’re signing a letter of acceptance to build a Qatari Emiri Air Force facility at the Mountain Home Air Base in Idaho. 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. And I hope you know, Your Excellency, that you can count on us.
"We saw in Midnight Hammer, 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. I’ve had the opportunity to see that firsthand operationally. I want to thank you. I want to thank your country for that, for hosting our troops, and it’s wonderful to welcome you to the Pentagon."
The Air Force facility will host a contingent of Qatari F-15s and pilots to enhance joint training, increase lethality, and improve interoperability between the US and Qatari air forces. The location is already home to Singapore's F-15SG fighter jets, indicating a precedent for allied military presence on US soil.
The announcement highlights Qatar's "substantial role" in efforts led by President Donald Trump to secure a Gaza ceasefire and hostage return deal Qatar, alongside Egypt and Turkey, was a key mediator in the indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas, which led to the first phase of the peace plan involving the release of hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from most of Gaza.
Secretary Hegseth praised Qatar's contribution, calling it a "historic moment" and a "core part" of the diplomatic success.
The agreement comes in the wake of an Israeli airstrike on September 9, 2025, targeting senior Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar's capital, which killed several lower-level members of the Palestinian group and a Qatari security official.
In response, President Trump signed an executive order on October 1, 2025, pledging to defend Qatar, stating that any armed attack on Qatar's territory, sovereignty, or critical infrastructure would be seen as a threat to US peace and security, and that the US would take all necessary measures, including military action, to defend both nations. This order is described as an "extraordinary security pact" and nearly mirrors aspects of a NATO alliance.
