Overview
- Qatar confirmed a reduction of U.S. personnel and equipment at al-Udeid, and two U.S. officials said the move responds to rising regional tensions.
- A senior official said Iran notified Doha it would retaliate if struck by the United States and identified al-Udeid as a primary target.
- Some people at the base were told to leave by Wednesday evening as a precaution, according to a U.S. official, while U.S. Central Command declined to comment.
- U.S. missions issued safety advisories, including the Virtual Embassy urging Americans to leave Iran and an emergency notice in Qatar encouraging citizens to sign up for alerts.
- Senior officials met at the White House to review options, with planners weighing potential Iranian counterstrikes and noting the lack of a U.S. aircraft carrier in the Middle East after Iran’s June missile attack on al-Udeid following earlier U.S. strikes.