• The U.S. will host a Qatari air force facility at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho.
• The agreement supports joint training for Qatari pilots flying F-15s with U.S. personnel.
• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth emphasized the partnership between the U.S. and Qatar.
• Qatar's role in mediating peace talks in Gaza was highlighted during the announcement.
• Trump's administration pledges military support for Qatar amid regional tensions.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the U.S. will allow the Qatari Emiri Air Force to establish a facility at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho. This facility will enable Qatari pilots to train on F-15 fighter jets, enhancing "our combined training, increase lethality, [and] interoperability," representing a significant aspect of the strategic partnership between the U.S. and Qatar, according to CBS News and BBC.

The announcement was made during a meeting at the Pentagon between Hegseth and Qatari Defense Minister Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. The facility will not constitute a foreign military base; Hegseth clarified that Qatar will not possess its own base in the U.S., as allied forces like the Singaporean Air Force also have training presences at the same location. This arrangement underscores decades of military cooperation between the two nations, according to The Hill and India Times.

Hegseth's remarks also touched on Qatar's influential role in recent peace negotiations regarding Gaza, praising their substantial contributions to mediating discussions between Israel and Hamas. The involvement of Qatar as an ally in these negotiations reflects the U.S. commitment to maintaining stability in the region, as noted by Al Jazeera and BBC.

This agreement follows President Trump's recent executive order asserting that any attack on Qatar would be viewed as a threat to U.S. peace and security, further solidifying military ties as noted by India Times and CBS News.