US pulling some personnel from Qatar air base, official tells CBS

The United States is reducing troop levels at its Al-Udeid air base in Qatar, according to BBC US partner CBS News, in what officials called a “precautionary measure.”

A statement from the Qatari government said the measure was taken “in response to current regional tensions.”

It comes after US President Donald Trump said the United States would take “very strong action” against Iran if authorities executed anti-government protesters. Iran says it will retaliate if attacked by the United States.

Rights groups say more than 2,400 anti-government protesters have been killed in the recent violent crackdown by Iranian authorities.

Qatar’s government said it would continue to “implement all necessary measures to ensure the safety and security of its citizens and residents as a top priority, including actions related to the protection of critical infrastructure and military installations.”

Iran launched a missile attack on Al-Udeid air base in June, in what it said was retaliation for U.S. strikes on its nuclear sites.

Al-Udeid Air Base, located in the desert outside the Qatari capital Doha, covers 24 hectares (59 acres) and is the largest US military base in the Middle East.

It also houses the U.S. Army headquarters for all air operations in the region, housing approximately 10,000 personnel. Some British soldiers also serve there on a rotating basis.

Citing diplomats, the Reuters news agency reported that although some personnel had been ordered to leave the base, there was no immediate sign of large numbers of troops being evacuated by bus as in the hours before last year’s Iranian attack.

A senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned Donald Trump on Wednesday that the June attack demonstrated Iran’s ability to respond to any attack.

“It would certainly help create a real understanding of Iran’s willingness and ability to respond to any attack,” Ali Shamkhani wrote in an article on X.

The US mission in Saudi Arabia also advised its personnel and citizens on Wednesday to “exercise increased caution and limit non-essential travel to military installations in the region.”

The United States threatens to intervene in Iran following the killings of protesters. On Tuesday, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that Iranian authorities would “pay a heavy price” for the killings, and urged people to “continue to protest.”

He also said that Iranian leaders had called him and that “they wanted to negotiate” but that the United States “may have to act before a meeting.”

The Iranian government accused the United States of seeking to “manufacture a pretext for military intervention,” with the speaker of Parliament warning that if the United States attacked, Israeli and American military and maritime centers in the region would become legitimate targets.

The latest protests in Iran began in late December following the collapse of the currency and as the country faces a soaring cost of living.

They quickly expanded to demands for political change and became one of the most serious challenges to the religious establishment since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said it had so far confirmed the killing of 2,403 protesters, as well as 12 children, despite an internet blackout. More than 18,434 protesters were arrested during the unrest, the group also reported.