On October 10, 2025, a significant new chapter in U.S.-Qatari defense cooperation was unveiled when Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that Qatar would build an air force facility at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho. The announcement, made alongside Qatari Defense Minister Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani at the Pentagon, marked the culmination of years of discussion between the two countries and sparked both praise and controversy across the American political landscape.
According to BBC, the agreement allows Qatari Emiri Air Force pilots to train on F-15 fighter jets at the Idaho base, expanding on a $12 billion order Qatar placed for 36 F-15s back in 2017. The facility, to be constructed within the existing U.S. air base and under American jurisdiction, will not function as a sovereign Qatari military base. Instead, it will serve as a training ground, enhancing combined training, interoperability, and what Hegseth described as "lethality." "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 said during the Pentagon meeting, as reported by Axios.
Mountain Home Air Force Base, located about 50 miles southeast of Boise in Elmore County, Idaho, is no stranger to international cooperation. Since 2008, Singapore’s air force has operated F-15SG fighter jets at the base, training with the 428th Fighter Squadron. The base itself is home to roughly 5,100 military and civilian personnel, 3,500 family members, and hosts the Air Combat Command’s 366th Fighter Wing—nicknamed the “Gunfighters” after innovations in aerial combat during the Vietnam War. The base’s primary mission, according to its own fact sheet, is to “provide mission-ready Gunfighters to conduct military operations anytime, anywhere.”
The plan for a Qatari detachment at Mountain Home dates back at least to 2022, according to the Idaho Statesman, and follows a model similar to other foreign military training arrangements in the U.S. For instance, Ukrainian F-16 pilots have been training at an Air National Guard base in Tucson, Arizona since 2023. However, as Axios notes, Qatar’s small, flat desert terrain limits the variety of training scenarios available at home, making overseas training a practical necessity for its air force.
Yet, the news was not universally welcomed. The announcement drew sharp criticism from some of President Donald Trump’s closest allies and conservative commentators. Laura Loomer, a well-known supporter of Trump, expressed her outrage on social media, writing, “There isn’t a single Trump supporter who supports allowing Qatar to have a military base on US soil.” Loomer’s opposition was echoed by Steve Bannon, former White House chief strategist, who told Newsweek there “should never be a military base of a foreign power on the sacred soil of America.”
Much of the criticism focused on Qatar’s alleged funding of groups such as Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. Loomer went further, claiming, “No foreign country should have a military base on US soil. Especially Islamic countries.” Conservative commentator Amy Malek added on X, “Qatar bankrolls Hamas, ISIS, the Taliban, al-Nusra, and the Muslim Brotherhood. It plays both sides – the arsonist and the firefighter – funding jihad, then posing as a ‘mediator.’ This isn’t ‘shared defense goals.’ It’s a shared delusion.”
Despite the heated rhetoric, U.S. officials were quick to clarify that the new facility would not constitute a sovereign Qatari base. As Task & Purpose and BBC both emphasize, no foreign nation has its own base inside the United States; rather, foreign militaries maintain training units or facilities on U.S. bases under cooperation agreements. This model is designed to foster interoperability and strengthen alliances, not to cede American territory or control.
The timing of the announcement also underscored the deepening U.S.-Qatari relationship. Earlier in October, President Trump issued an executive order that dramatically expanded U.S. security guarantees for Qatar, stating that "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 followed an Israeli strike in Doha that killed several Hamas leaders and a Qatari security official, putting a spotlight on Qatar’s strategic role in the region.
Qatar’s significance as a U.S. partner is not limited to Idaho. The Gulf nation hosts the Al Udeid Air Base, the largest U.S. military installation in the Middle East and a vital hub for American air operations in the region. The base, which was attacked earlier in 2025 by Iran in retaliation for American strikes against its nuclear sites, underscores the high-stakes environment in which U.S.-Qatari cooperation plays out.
In addition to defense cooperation, the relationship has taken on symbolic dimensions. Earlier in 2025, Qatar gifted a luxury Boeing 747 jet to the U.S. Air Force for use as the new Air Force One. Although Democrats attempted to block funding for the jet’s modifications, Republicans ultimately approved the measure. The Air Force began working on the aircraft last month, though its delivery timeline remains uncertain.
Defense Secretary Hegseth also highlighted Qatar’s diplomatic role in the Middle East, particularly its efforts to mediate between Israel and Hamas. “No one other than President Trump could have achieved the peace—what we believe will be a lasting peace—in Gaza, and Qatar played a substantial role from the beginning, working with our folks to make sure that came about,” Hegseth said, as reported by TIME. The cease-fire deal, announced by President Trump on October 8, 2025, required Israel to pull its troops back to agreed positions in the Gaza Strip and gave Hamas 72 hours to release the remaining Israeli hostages.
While the Pentagon has not disclosed how many Qatari F-15s or personnel will be stationed in Idaho, the move is being described as “another example of our partnership.” Hegseth assured his Qatari counterpart, “You can count on us.” The facility is expected to be built from the ground up, with the goal of enhancing both countries’ military readiness and cementing a relationship that, for better or worse, is now more visible than ever on American soil.
The decision to host Qatari pilots in Idaho is emblematic of the evolving nature of U.S. alliances and the sometimes uneasy balance between strategic interests and domestic political sentiment. As the first Qatari F-15s prepare to touch down in the high desert of Idaho, the eyes of the world—and the skeptical voices at home—will be watching closely to see what this new partnership brings.
