Al Udeid Air Base: The strategic US stronghold in Qatar

Shafaq News/ As regional tensions between Iran, the United States, and Israel continue to escalate, Iran’s missile strike on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar has drawn sharp condemnation from Gulf countries and reignited focus on the military and geopolitical significance of the facility.
Located southwest of Doha, Al Udeid is the largest US military installation in the Middle East and serves as the forward headquarters for US Central Command (CENTCOM). Spanning 24 hectares, the base hosts the Combined Air Operations Center and the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, which oversee American military operations across a vast region stretching from Egypt to Kazakhstan.
The base houses approximately 10,000 US military personnel, making it a central hub in Washington’s regional defense architecture. Across the broader Middle East, the US maintains between 40,000 and 50,000 troops.
In response to growing security threats and the intensifying confrontation between Iran and Israel, the US has relocated nearly 40 aircraft from Al Udeid in recent days, citing concerns over the base's proximity to Iranian missile range.
In 2024, the United States and Qatar reportedly reached an agreement to extend the American military presence at Al Udeid for another 10 years.
Following the missile strike, which Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) described as retaliation for US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities, Qatar confirmed that its air defenses intercepted the incoming missiles and prevented casualties. The Qatari government condemned the strike as a “blatant violation of its sovereignty” and vowed to respond under international law.