US pulls troops out of major Middle East base after Iran tensions grow
Donald Trump has ordered military personnel from the largest US military base in the Middle East to leave no later than tonight as tensions in Iran boil over.
Some soldiers at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar will leave today as a precautionary measure after warnings from Tehran that it would target US bases in the region if Trump intervenes to protect Iranian protesters.
Al Udeid, the largest US military installation in the Middle East, houses around 10,000 troops and serves as headquarters for US Central Command.
Not all will leave, but the base last moved many troops in summer 2025 when the US struck nuclear sites in Iran.
The US official described the move at the base as a precautionary measure. Qatar said that the measures were being ‘undertaken in response to the current regional tensions’.
It comes as Trump’s national security team have been weighing a range of potential responses against Iran following the deaths of more than 2,000 peaceful protesters.
‘The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options,’ Trump told reporters on Air Force One earlier this week.
Asked about Iran’s threats of retaliation, he said: ‘If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they’ve never been hit before.’
Anonymous sources have told news agencies that this could include cyber-attacks and direct strikes by the US or Israel.
Tehran has warned that the US military and Israel would be ‘legitimate targets’ if America uses force to protect demonstrators.
Tensions simmer in Greenland
In addition to Iran, the US is focusing efforts on Greenland, which Trump has claimed can only be protected from China and Russia by the US.
Denmark has increased its military presence in and around Greenland, with rumours of a NATO deployment circulating today.
In a post on Truth Social today, Trump wrote: ‘Militarily, without the vast power of the United States, much of which I built during my first term, and am now bringing to a new and even higher level, Nato would not be an effective force or deterrent – not even close!
‘They know that, and so do I. NATO becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the United States. Anything less than that is unacceptable.’
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