U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced that the United States will permit Qatar to construct a facility at an Air Force base in Idaho — just months after Qatar gifted the Pentagon with a luxury jet that President Donald Trump plans to use for Air Force One.
Hegseth, 45, made the announcement during a meeting with his Qatari counterpart, Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, on Friday, Oct. 10.
He explained that Qatari pilots will train alongside U.S. troops, describing the initiative as mutually beneficial for both nations.
“Today we’re announcing [and] 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 the lethality, [and] interoperability,” he said. “It’s just another example of our partnership.”
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In a statement posted on X later that day, Hegseth offered what he called an “important clarification.”
“The U.S. military has a long-standing partnership w/ Qatar, including today’s announced cooperation w/ F-15QA aircraft. However, to be clear, Qatar will not have their own base in the United States—nor anything like a base. We control the existing base, like we do with all partners,” he wrote.
According to CNN, the plan for Qatar to build a facility within the United States is not new and originated under the previous administration. A U.S. official also told the outlet that allowing partner nations to build facilities on American Air Force bases is a long-standing practice, noting existing collaborations with Germany and Singapore.
However, the decision has drawn criticism from several quarters, including some within former President Trump’s circle. Conservative political activist and Trump ally Laura Loomer has repeatedly posted about the deal on X, describing it as “an abomination.”
“Just unbelievable,” she wrote in one post.
Hegseth previously signed an agreement with Qatar in July outlining the Gulf nation’s “unconditional donation” of a luxury jet to the U.S. Department of Defense. The aircraft is expected to be used by Trump for official White House travel after undergoing security modifications.
“This donation is made in good faith and in the spirit of cooperation and mutual support between the parties,” the signed memorandum stated, according to CNN. “Nothing in this MoU is, or shall be interpreted or construed as, an offer, promise, or acceptance of any form of bribery, undue influence, or corrupt practice.”
