The United States has evacuated some personnel from a military base in Qatar as countries around the region race to defuse the risk of conflagration from any strike against Iran by Donald Trump. The withdrawal from the Al Udeid airbase, the US’s regional military command which hosts around 10,000 troops, was described by an Arab official as a “precaution as of now”. Iran fired missiles at a major United States military base in Qatar in retaliation for the US attack on Iranian nuclear sites last year. Iranian officials have previously threatened to disrupt shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz, a global chokepoint for oil supplies. The person also reflected widespread regional concerns that the Iranian regime, under pressure internally and externally, could respond militarily against its neighbours.

Source: The Irish Times January 14, 2026 18:29 UTC