Some personnel at the US-run Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar have been advised to leave by Wednesday evening as a precaution amid rising regional tensions, a US official said. Speaking anonymously to the Associated Press, the official declined to specify whether the move was mandatory, who it applied to, or how many people were affected, citing operational security concerns.
Qatar confirmed the advisory, saying the measures were linked to current regional tensions and that steps were being taken to safeguard citizens, residents and critical infrastructure.
The development comes as Iran issued a sharp warning to neighbouring countries hosting US military bases, threatening to target American installations if Washington launches an attack on Iranian territory. Tehran’s warning follows weeks of intensified anti-government protests across Iran and increasingly aggressive rhetoric from US President Donald Trump.
Iran has also stepped up regional diplomatic outreach. State media reported that Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, spoke with Qatar’s foreign minister, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi held phone calls with his counterparts in the United Arab Emirates and Turkey. Araqchi told UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed that “calm has prevailed” in recent exchanges.
According to an official cited in reports, Tehran has conveyed to countries including Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Turkey that US bases on their soil would be targeted if Iran comes under attack.
Precaution, not evacuation
A diplomat familiar with the situation downplayed the move at Al Udeid, describing it as a “posture change” rather than an ordered evacuation. The diplomat said there was no indication of a full troop withdrawal, unlike during previous Iranian missile strikes on US installations.
The Al Udeid base, which hosts thousands of US troops, was struck by Iran in June in retaliation for US attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities. Iran’s Supreme Leader adviser Ali Shamkhani later said on X that the strike demonstrated Tehran’s readiness to respond to any aggression.
Britain is also reportedly pulling out some personnel from a Qatar airbase amid concerns over potential US strikes on Iran, according to the i newspaper. The move mirrors similar precautionary steps taken by the US at military facilities across the Middle East as tensions continue to mount.
Protests intensify in Iran
The warnings and troop movements come against the backdrop of widespread anti-government protests in Iran, initially sparked by economic grievances but now seen as the most serious challenge to the country’s leadership in decades.
Iranian and Western officials have described the unrest as the most violent since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Casualty figures remain disputed, with an Iranian official claiming more than 2,000 deaths, while rights groups have put the toll at over 2,600.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot described the crackdown as “the most violent repression in Iran’s contemporary history”. Iran’s Armed Forces Chief of Staff Abdolrahim Mousavi acknowledged the scale of unrest, saying the country had “never faced this volume of destruction”, while accusing foreign enemies of stoking instability.
Tehran has repeatedly blamed the US and Israel for fuelling the protests and has urged regional allies to prevent any American military action against Iran.
Diplomatic channels frozen
President Trump has openly supported the protest movement, warning Tehran of consequences and promising “very strong action” if protesters are executed. In an interview with CBS News, he encouraged Iranians to continue demonstrating and claimed that “help is on the way”. An Israeli official has also claimed that Trump has decided to intervene, though details remain unclear.
Direct contacts between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff have since been suspended, highlighting a breakdown in diplomatic engagement.
Despite the unrest, Western officials say Iran’s security apparatus remains intact, with no immediate signs of the government losing control. Iranian authorities, meanwhile, have sought to project resilience, broadcasting large funeral processions and stressing popular support.
President Masoud Pezeshkian said that as long as the government retained public backing, “all the enemies’ efforts against the country will come to nothing”.