US recommends that some military personnel leave Al Udeid airbase in Qatar
The United States has advised some personnel to leave the US Al Udeid airbase in Qatar by the evening of Wednesday, 14 January. Three diplomats with knowledge of the situation told Reuters.
According to them, it is not a forced evacuation, but a so-called change of position. One of the diplomats stressed that the decision was not accompanied by an official explanation of the specific reasons for the move. The US Embassy in Doha did not comment, and the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs also did not respond to the journalists' request.
Al Udeid Air Base is the largest US military facility in the Middle East. It is home to about 10,000 US military personnel and plays a key role in Washington's regional operations.
The recommendations for personnel come amid a sharp escalation over Iran. Earlier, a senior official in Tehran told Reuters that Iran had warned regional countries that it was ready to strike US bases in the event of a US attack. The statements came after President Donald Trump threatened possible intervention to protect protesters in Iran.
Similar moves by the US have already taken place before. Last year, more than a week before the US airstrikes on Iran, some personnel and family members were withdrawn from bases in the region. After the strikes in June, Iran launched a missile attack on a base in Qatar.
Source and photo: Reuters
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