US and UK pulling some personnel from Qatar military base

As US President Donald Trump considers whether to take action against Iran over its crackdown on anti-government protests, the US and UK are reducing the number of personnel at Al Udeid air base in Qatar.

Officials told BBC’s US partner CBS that America’s partial withdrawal was a “precautionary measure”. The BBC understands that some British military personnel have also been dismissed.

In the statement made by the Qatari government, it was stated that the measures reportedly taken by the USA were “in response to current regional tensions”.

Trump has previously said the United States would take “very strong action” against Iran if authorities execute protesters. Iran announced that it would retaliate against the US attack.

More than 2,400 anti-government demonstrators have been killed in a recent violent crackdown by Iranian authorities, according to rights groups.

Regarding the dismissal of military personnel, the Qatari government said it would continue to “implement all necessary measures to maintain the safety and security of its citizens and residents as a top priority, including actions related to the protection of critical infrastructure and military facilities.”

Al-Udeid is the largest US military base in the Middle East, with around 10,000 personnel based there, as well as around 100 British personnel. It’s unclear how many people will leave.

A UK Ministry of Defense spokesman declined to comment on reports that UK personnel had been withdrawn “for operational security reasons”.

Citing diplomats, the Reuters news agency reported that although some personnel were told to leave the base, there was no sign that large numbers of soldiers were being transported by buses, as was the case in the hours before last year’s Iranian attack.

Meanwhile, the US Mission to Saudi Arabia advised its personnel and citizens to “exercise greater caution and limit non-essential travel to military installations in the region.”

Iran started Missile attack on Al Udeid air base in June He said it was retaliation for US attacks on nuclear facilities.

A senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Donald Trump on Wednesday that the June attack demonstrated Iran’s ability to respond to any attack.

“This will certainly help to truly understand Iran’s willingness and capacity to respond to any attack,” Ali Shamkhani wrote in a post on X. he said.

The US is threatening to intervene against Iran over the killing of protesters. On Tuesday, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that Iranian authorities “will pay a huge price” for the killings and urged people to “continue to protest.”

He also said Iranian leaders called him and “wanted to negotiate” but that the United States “may have to act before the meeting.”

While the Iranian government accused the USA of trying to “make excuses for military intervention”, the speaker of the parliament warned that if the USA attacked, both Israeli and US military and transportation centers in the region would become legitimate targets.

The latest protests in Iran began at the end of December, following a devaluation of its currency and as the country struggled with rising costs of living.

These quickly expanded into demands for political change and became one of the most serious challenges to the religious order since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said it has confirmed that 2,403 protesters and 12 children have been killed so far despite the internet blackout. The group also reported that more than 18,434 protesters were arrested during the unrest.