The United States government began to preventively withdraw part of its personnel from the Al-Udeid air base, in Qatar, amid escalating tensions with Iran and the possibility of American military action, according to authorities interviewed by international vehicles this Wednesday (14).
According to information released by the broadcaster CBS NewsAmerican authorities classified the partial withdrawal of personnel as a “precautionary measure”, adopted in view of the worsening regional scenario. THE BBC reported that UK military personnel had also begun to be removed from the base, although London did not detail the number of troops involved.
In an official statement, the Qatari government stated that the measures adopted by the United States are “in response to current regional tensions” and that Doha will continue to implement actions to ensure the security of citizens, residents and strategic installations, including critical military infrastructure.
The Al-Udeid base is the largest United States military installation in the Middle East and is home to around 10,000 American troops, in addition to approximately 100 members of the British Armed Forces. So far, there is no official confirmation on how many soldiers will leave the location.
According to the agency Reutersdiplomats reported that although some personnel have been told to leave the base, there are no signs of a large-scale evacuation, as occurred before last year’s war, when the US bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities. Still, a military official told Reuters that “all signs indicate that a US attack” against Iran “is imminent”, although he considered that unpredictability is part of the strategy adopted by President Donald Trump’s government.
The move comes after Trump threatened “very strong action” if the Iranian regime moves forward with executions of protesters arrested during anti-government protests. This Wednesday, Trump stated that the United States “will watch and see” before taking the military option off the table, highlighting that he has received information that “there is no plan for executions” at the moment.
