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The U.S. military's largest Middle East airbase has come under renewed scrutiny after allegations that Israel informed Washington before conducting a strike against Hamas negotiators in Doha, Qatar's capital.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Israel notified the United States prior to the attack, and the U.S. subsequently shared this information with Qatar. The claims have sparked debate about Washington's role in the operation and its military presence in the Gulf nation.
Al-Udeid Air Base, located in Qatar's desert southwest of Doha, houses advanced radar systems capable of detecting all air traffic movements in the region. Social media users citing FlightRadar data alleged that British refueling tankers took off from Al-Udeid to support Israeli aircraft mid-flight, while U.S. KC-46A tankers reportedly returned to the base after the strike.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the attack during a briefing, saying the Trump administration was informed by the U.S. military that "Israel conducted a strike against Hamas in Doha, the capital of Qatar, which has worked very hard with us and taken brave risks to achieve peace."
Describing the bombing of Qatar as "unfortunate," Leavitt said, "Unilaterally bombing Qatar, a close ally of the United States, does not serve the goals of Israel or America."
A U.S. official told CNN that President Trump learned of the strike not from Israel but from Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan Caine. Another official said Trump's Middle East Special Representative Steve Witkoff was briefed immediately after, but when Witkoff contacted the Qatari government, it was already "too late."
Qatar's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Majed al-Ansari disputed claims that his country was warned in advance, calling such allegations "baseless" in a statement posted on X.
Al-Ansari noted that a conversation with a U.S. official took place during the explosion sounds that followed Israel's strike on Doha, contradicting suggestions of prior notification.
Al-Udeid Air Base spans approximately 24 hectares and serves as the nerve center for U.S. operations across the Middle East. The facility hosts U.S. Air Forces, British Royal Air Force units, and Qatar's own air force.
As headquarters for U.S. Central Command's regional operations, the base coordinates air missions from Northeast Africa to South Asia, including ongoing operations in Iraq, Syria and Yemen. Approximately 10,000 American military personnel are stationed there alongside nearly 100 aircraft, including long-range bombers, refueling tankers and unmanned aerial vehicles.
The base previously made headlines when Iran struck it with ballistic missiles on June 23 in retaliation for Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities and U.S. support for those operations. Associated Press reported that satellite imagery showed the attack destroyed a sensitive communications dome used by U.S. forces for secure communications.
The latest incident has reignited questions about America's military footprint in Qatar and Washington's coordination with regional allies during sensitive operations.
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