On Friday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a new agreement that allows the Qatari Emiri Air Force to build a facility at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho. He made the announcement at the Pentagon alongside Qatari Minister of Defense Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
Hegseth said: “Today we’re signing a letter of acceptance to build a Qatari Emiri Air Force Facility at the Mountain Home Air Base in Idaho.” He added that the site “will host a contingent of Qatari F-15’s and pilots to enhance our combined training, increase lethality, interoperability, it’s just another example of our partnership.”
🚨 Hegseth: “We’re signing a letter of acceptance to build a Qatari Emiri Air Force facility at Mountain Home Airbase in Idaho.”
So let’s get this straight:
– Republicans shut down the government
– Active-duty U.S. troops are missing paychecks
– And now we’re building a… pic.twitter.com/SWTPAsjRjQ— Brian Allen (@allenanalysis) October 10, 2025
Later that same day, amid growing backlash, Hegseth clarified on X: “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.”
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,…
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) October 10, 2025
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The deal is part of a deeper alignment between Trump and Qatar. In April 2025, the Trump Organization struck a deal to build a massive beachside resort in Qatar, valued at $5.5 billion. The project, in the Simaisma district north of Doha, will include Trump-branded villas, an 18-hole golf course, and a “Land of Legends” theme park component.
Eric Trump was in Doha for the signing, smiling beside Qatari officials. The photo alone said plenty.
A month later, in May, Trump accepted a luxury Boeing 747-8 jet from Qatar to serve as a presidential plane. It is meant to become Air Force One, though the gesture quickly raised concerns about influence and ethics. When a foreign government gives a leader a jet worth hundreds of millions, it is hard not to question what comes with it.
In late September 2025, he went even further, signing an executive order pledging that any armed attack on Qatar would be treated as a threat to U.S. security. The order reads: “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 White House defended it all as strategic policy. Officials said the Idaho military training deal with Qatar would strengthen defense ties and improve joint operations. They also pointed to Qatar’s role in peace talks between Israel and Hamas, calling it a “substantial” partner in diplomacy.
Featured image via X screengrab
