# Al Udeid Air Base **Al Udeid Air Base** is a military airfield in [[Qatar]] that hosts about 10,000 American troops and the regional headquarters of [[CENTCOM]], the U.S. command for the Middle East. It is the largest American air base in the region. ## Why it matters The base is Qatar's strongest card in Washington. A small country next to larger rivals has made itself the place the U.S. military runs its Middle East air operations from, which gives every administration a reason to keep the relationship working. That was tested in June 2017, when [[Saudi Arabia]], the [[United Arab Emirates]] and their allies blockaded Qatar and President [[Donald Trump]] publicly sided with them. Secretary of State [[Rex Tillerson]] said the blockade was hindering the campaign against the [[Islamic State]], and a Pentagon spokesman said it was hampering longer-term planning. Leaked emails from the Emirati ambassador, [[Yousef Al Otaiba]], showed him joking with a Washington think-tank contact about getting the base moved out of Qatar. It stayed. See [[Qatar Diplomatic Crisis]]. The base came under Iranian fire in 2026. That story is at [[Iran War 2026]] and [[Qatari Influence]]. ## See Also - [[Qatar]] · [[Qatari Influence]] · [[CENTCOM]] · [[Department of Defense]] - [[Qatar Diplomatic Crisis]] · [[Iran War 2026]]