U.S. to Host Qatari F-15 Pilots and Jets at Idaho Air Base in Deepening Defense Partnership
Key Facts
- U.S. and Qatar signed an agreement to host Qatari F-15 pilots and jets at Idaho’s Mountain Home Air Force Base.
- Secretary Pete Hegseth said the move enhances combined training and “lethal interoperations.”
- Qatar’s defense minister linked the partnership to recent Gaza peace efforts mediated by Qatar and the U.S.
- President Trump and Secretary Hegseth credited Qatar’s role in achieving the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
WASHINGTON / DOHA (Worthy News) – The United States and Qatar have signed a landmark defense agreement that will see Qatari F-15 fighter jets and pilots stationed at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho — a move underscoring both nations’ expanding military and diplomatic ties following the Gaza ceasefire deal.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced the agreement Friday at the Pentagon alongside Qatar’s Minister of Defense, Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, during an honor cordon ceremony.
“The location will host a contingent of Qatari F-15s and pilots to enhance our combined training and increase lethal interoperations,” Hegseth said. “It’s just another example of our partnership.”
The new Qatari Emiri Air Force facility will be built within the base, about 50 miles southeast of Boise, Idaho — already home to Singaporean F-15 crews participating in a 25-year joint training program since 2009.
Hegseth praised Qatar for playing a “core part” in helping broker the Gaza peace deal announced earlier this week by President Donald Trump. “You have been a core part of what has unfolded in Gaza — a historic moment,” he said. “We’re grateful for the strong partnership we have, the way you support our troops at Al Udeid, and the close line of communication we’ve shared.”
Qatar’s defense chief called the agreement both a military and diplomatic milestone. “Our nations share a deep relationship grounded in mutual respect and a common vision for peace and stability in the Middle East,” Al Thani said. “Hosting the U.S. forces at Al-Udeid Air Base and now training in Idaho stand as a testament to our collective commitment to regional and global security.”
Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) applauded the move, saying it “enhances our partnership with America’s allies and strengthens national security.”
The Mountain Home facility will serve as a permanent U.S.-Qatari training hub, designed to boost joint readiness and interoperability amid shifting Middle East alliances.
“Qatar’s cooperation has been essential to achieving peace in Gaza,” Hegseth added, crediting the Trump administration’s diplomacy. “No one other than President Trump could have achieved what we believe will be a lasting peace.”
Critics of the agreement warned that hosting foreign military forces on U.S. soil — particularly from a Gulf state with deep ties to both Washington and Hamas mediators — raises strategic and political concerns. They argue that while the arrangement strengthens military cooperation, it could also blur national defense priorities and expose the U.S. to potential diplomatic entanglements in Middle Eastern conflicts.
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