Hegseth Says US Will Host Qatari Air Force Facility and F-15 Fighter Jets in Idaho

The Mountain Home Air Base in Elmore County, Idaho, will host Qatari F-15 fighter planes, the Pentagon chief said.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks to senior military officers gathered at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Quantico, Va., on Sept. 30, 2025. Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced Friday that the Pentagon agreed to host a new Qatar Air Force facility at a U.S. base in Idaho after the Middle Eastern country played a significant role in negotiating the deal between Israel and Hamas.

Hegseth said during an event that he signed a letter confirming a plan to “build a Qatari Emiri Air Force facility at the Mountain Home Air Base in Idaho,” which is located 40 miles southeast of Boise. He made the announcement alongside Qatari counterpart, Minister of State for Defense Affairs Saoud bin Abdulrahman al-Thani.