WASHINGTON – The US military has begun evacuating some of its personnel from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar as President Donald Trump weighs potential military strikes against Iran’s government, two officials briefed on the matter told Al-Monitor.
The temporary departure began after Trump convened with principals on Tuesday to discuss courses of action, one of the sources said. The president has repeatedly threatened to strike at Iran’s government if its security forces use violence against protesters amid a broad public uprising that has demanded an end to clerical rule.
Yet Trump has been evasive about what specific actions may trigger a US military strike. On Tuesday, the president told CBS News he may order “very strong action” if the Islamic Republic goes through with hanging of at least one protester, reportedly planned for Wednesday.
Iran’s Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh warned Tuesday that the Iranian military will retaliate for any attacks on the country. “If these threats are turned into action, we will defend the country with full force and until the last drop of blood, and our defense would be painful to them,” Nasirzadeh said after meeting with Iranian parliamentarians.
Reuters reported Tuesday that Iran warned neighboring countries in the Gulf that US bases on their territory could be targeted if Iran comes under attack by the US.
Al Udeid is US Central Command’s (CENTCOM) forward headquarters in the Middle East. The base is estimated to house roughly 10,000 American personnel at any given time, according to the Pentagon’s official numbers, along with military staff from Qatar and other regional countries.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
