The U.S. military will build a dedicated pilot training facility for Qatar at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a visit by Qatar’s defense minister. The site would host Qatari F-15s to boost joint training and interoperability. Qatar said it will fund and maintain a 10-year project within the U.S. base, not establish a Qatari base, and projected hundreds of American jobs. The announcement drew sharp criticism from Laura Loomer and others, and followed President Donald Trump’s executive order pledging to defend Qatar.

Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.