Some personnel at key US base in Qatar advised to evacuate amid Iran tensions
WASHINGTON– Some personnel at a key US military base in Qatar have been advised to evacuate by Wednesday evening, a US official said. The decision came as a senior Iranian official cited a previous Iranian attack there.
The official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity on Wednesday to discuss sensitive projects, described the move to Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar as a precautionary measure. The official did not provide further details on the decision, including whether the evacuation was optional or mandatory, whether it affected troops or civilian personnel, or the number of people asked to leave, citing the need to ensure operational security.
In response, Qatar said on Wednesday that such measures were “taken in response to current regional tensions”.
“IMO reaffirms that the State of Qatar continues 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,” Qatar Media Office said in an article on X.
The Pentagon declined to comment on questions regarding the decision. The State Department had no immediate comment on the possibility of security alerts being issued to U.S. diplomats or other civilians in Qatar. In June, the embassy issued a brief stay-at-home advisory to U.S. citizens in Doha, but stopped short of evacuating diplomats or advising Americans to leave the country.
The precautionary measure comes as anti-government protests continue in neighboring Iran and President Donald Trump has said he is prepared to carry out military operations in the country if the government continues to retaliate against protesters.
The base, which houses thousands of US troops, was targeted by Iran in June in retaliation for US strikes on its nuclear facilities.
Ali Shamkhani, advisor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, wrote on social platform »
“This would certainly help create a real understanding of Iran’s willingness and ability to respond to any aggression,” he added.
Iranian and Qatari officials spoke Tuesday amid a deadly crackdown in Iran and growing threats from the United States to intervene if protesters are not spared.
Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, had a phone call with Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Prime Minister of Qatar.
In a statement on
Iran’s decision in June to retaliate for U.S. strikes by targeting the sprawling desert installation outside Doha created rare tension between the two maritime neighbors, with Qatari officials saying it took them by surprise.
No U.S. or Qatari personnel were injured, U.S. Army Central Command said at the time, stressing that the two forces had worked together to defend the base. A Qatari military officer said one of the 19 missiles fired by Iran was not intercepted and did not hit the base, but the US Republican president said in a social media post at the time that “virtually no damage was caused”.
The Gulf state has been caught in the crossfire of other regional tensions, including an Israeli strike in September on the Hamas political leadership headquarters in Doha, as the group’s top officials were meeting to consider a U.S. proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
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Amiri reported from New York.
