Introduction

In recent  developments, in response to Trump’s June 22, 2025 attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities,  Iran’s Armed Forces responded by attacking the Al Udeid Air Force base in Qatar which is the largest US Air Force base in the Middle East. 

According to Al Jazeera:  Iran has responded to Trump’s “Operation Midnight Hammer “by targeting its military assets in the Middle East” including several U.S. military bases in Kuwait, Bahrain and Iraq. The press reports have not revealed the destruction and loss of life of Iran’s attacks. 

On Monday [June 23, 2025], Ali Akbar Velayati, an adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, announced that bases used by US forces “in the region or elsewhere” could be attacked in retaliation for US attacks on Iran’s underground nuclear sites the previous day.

Later, news agency Reuters cited a Western diplomat as saying there had been a credible Iranian threat against Al Udeid since noon on Monday [June 23, 2025]

“Was Al Udeid prepared for the attack?  Before targeting Iran’s nuclear sites, reports suggest that the US started taking precautionary measures.

 

Media reports confirm that the Trump presidency had ordered on June 5. (two weeks prior to the June 22 attacks directed against Iran’s nuclear facilities), the removal of some 40 military aircraft from the Al Udeid Air base.

One US official who spoke to Reuters said aircraft that were not in hardened shelters had been moved from Al Udeid base.

Additionally, he said US Navy vessels had been moved from a port in Bahrain, where the US military’s 5th fleet is located. “It is not an uncommon practice,” the official said. “Force protection is the priority.”

The June 22, 2025 “Midnight Hammer” Attack on Iran’s Nuclear Facilities

Trump’s“ Operation Midnight Hammer” attack on June 22, 2025 against Iran’s nuclear facilities involved the dispatch of B-2 aircraft out of the Whitman Air Force Base in Missouri.

This complex and improvised Operation was under the auspices of US Central Command (USCENTCOM), based in Florida in close coordination with US Strategic Command (USSTRACOM) in Omaha, Nebraska.

What the media failed to underscore which is of utmost importance, is that the Al-Udeid air force base in Qatar is the Forward Headquarters of US Central Command. (USCENTCOM) in the Middle East, with the task of coordinating military operations with USCENTCOM in Florida and USSTRATCOM in Omaha Nebraska. 

The damage and destruction of the Al-Udeid Base which constitutes the Forward Headquarters of USCENTCOM remain to be the confirmed. One thing which is absolutely clear is that the Middle East  Headquarters of US Central Command. (USCENTCOM)are totally dysfunctional. WHY?

America Sleeping with The Enemy?

The crucial issue is that while the Biden administration in January 2022 had negotiated a specific status of Qatar as a major non-NATO ally of the United States, Qatar is and remains a partner of Iran in the exploitation of natural gas in the Persian Gulf.

This partnership also signifies that Qatar and Iran are de facto allies.

 

Al Udeid Base

Qatar: A Major Partner of Iran is Appointed by Washington “Major Non-NATO Ally of the U.S”

On January 31st, 2022 President Biden designated Qatar as a “Major Non-NATO ally” of the United States.

 

 

President Joe Biden informed the media prior to his White House meeting with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, the Emir of Qatar, that Qatar had accepted to become a “Major Non-NATO Ally” (MNNA).

The MNNA appointment is granted to “close allies” which are not members of NATO but which have “a strategic working relationship” with the U.S. Military. According to the US State Department the “Major Non-NATO Ally” (MNNA) designation:

“is a powerful symbol of the close relationship the United States shares with those countries and demonstrates our deep respect for the friendship for the countries to which it is extended.” (emphasis added)

The “Major Non-NATO Ally of the US, was largely intended to weaken Qatar’s lonstanding partnership with Iran which consists in the joint Iran-Qatar ownership of the World’s largest maritime gas reserves

“President Biden said Monday [January 31, 2022] that he would name Qatar as a “major non-NATO ally” of the United States, a designation that will clear the way for greater security cooperation and investment in the Gulf nation at a time when Mr. Biden is seeking help boosting natural gas supplies in Europe.

I am notifying Congress that I will designate Qatar as a major non-NATO ally to reflect the importance of our relationship,” Mr. Biden said.” (NYT, emphasis added)

There is something “fishy” regarding the appointment of Qatar (a small country with about 300,000 citizens) to the status of a “major non-NATO ally”(MNNA).

On Behalf of the Pentagon?

Against whom? 

“Military Aid” to Qatar, America’s  New “Major Non-NATO Ally”

Exactly ten months later (following Biden’s contentious January 31st statement), coinciding with “Day Ten” of the FIFA World Cup, the Pentagon entered into a military cooperation agreement with its “Novel” Major Non-NATO Ally, namely the Emirate of Qatar.

A one billion dollar deal was announced for the purchase of sophisticated drone equipment to be used by Doha against an “unnamed foreign enemy”.

The US Department of Defense (the DOD’s DSCA) announcement  pointed to …”a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Qatar” of a sophisticated counter drone apparatus described as the:

“Fixed Site-Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aircraft System Integrated Defeat System (FS-LIDS)”.

A “System of Systems” for a modest “estimated cost of $1 billion”.

The US military industrial complex is involved, with trainers, military advisors and consultants to be stationed in Qatar. The contractors are Raytheon Technologies, Scientific Research Corporation (SRC), and Northrop Grumman, which will be collaborating with the Emirate’s military.

It is all for a good cause. “Improve the security of a friendly country [Qatar]”. According to the Pentagon’s DSCA:

“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by helping to improve the security of a friendly country [Qatar] that continues to be an important force for political stability and economic progress in [West Asia],”

Is this one billion dollar sale of anti-drone systems to Qatar intended to threaten Iran? Once installed, who will be pulling the strings?

The Role of US Central Command and US Forward Command at the Al Udeid U.S. Air Force Base

USCENTCOM is the theater-level Combatant Command for operations in the broader Middle East region extending from Afghanistan to North Africa. It is the most important Combat Command of the Unified Command structure. It has led and coordinated several major Middle East war theaters including Afghanistan (2001), Iraq (2003). It was also involved in Syria.

 

 

In the case of a war with Iran, operations in the Middle East would be coordinated by US Central Command with headquarters in Tampa, Florida in permanent liaison with its forward command headquarters in Qatar.

“The base is technically Qatari property playing host to the forward headquarters of U.S. Central Command.”

With 11,000 US military personnel, it is described as “one of the U.S. military’s most enduring and most strategically positioned operations on the planet”   (Washington Times). Al-Udeid also hosts the US Air Force’s 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, considered to be “America’s most vital overseas air command”.

Since the May 2017 split of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Qatar has become a staunch ally of both Iran and Turkey (which despite its role in NATO is also an ally of Iran and Russia).

From a legal standpoint, the Al-Udeid base is owned by the Qatar Emirate Air Force.

In 2019, Qatar was an ally of Iran and the Al-Udeid base was fromm a US standpoint located in enemy territory.

Following Biden’s January 31st 2022 announcement, Qatar’s “Major Non-NATO Ally” status signifies that the Al-Udeid Base is now located in the territory of a “close ally” of the U.S. 

The underlying objective is to disrupt enemy military alliances, destabilize the Iran-Qatar Maritime Gas Partnership as well undermine the trade in NLG to the detriment of Western Europe.

Qatar’s status as a “close ally” of US-NATO also provides a potential stepping stone towards a full fledged war against Iran?

Sucking the Qatar Emirate into becoming a “Major Non-Nato Ally” and  “Friend of America” is intent upon eventually appropriating and/or exerting control through military means, corruption, regime change or otherwise over:

THE LARGEST MARITIME GAS RESERVES ON THE PLANET. 

 

What are Washington’s “Foreign Policy and National Security Objectives” Pertaining to Qatar?

QUESTION: Is it a ploy to create divisions within the structure of Qatar’s military alliance and partnership with Iran as well as trigger the entry of U.S. military personnel, advisers, etc. into the midst of the Emirate government and military?

ANSWER: There is an unspoken strategic objective behind this alleged military alliance with Qatar.

It’s “NATURAL GAS”. 

Sucking the Qatar Emirate into becoming a “Major Non-Nato Ally” and  “Friend of America” is intent upon eventually appropriating and/or exerting control through military means, corruption, regime change or otherwise over:

THE LARGEST MARITIME GAS RESERVES ON THE PLANET. 

The South Pars North Dome: the Planet’s Largest Maritime Gas Reserves

Qatar is not only an ally of Iran, the emirate is a Partner in the development of the World’s largest Maritime Gas Reserves, jointly owned in an agreement between Iran and Qatar.

The South Pars North Dome reserves far surpass all major maritime gas reserves Worldwide combined held by Russia, Iran, Netherlands, Norway, Egypt, Turkmenistan, US, etc.

It has recoverable reserves of 35,000 km3.

Compare that to the 25 largest maritime gas reserves.

Needless to say, these joint Qatar-Iran gas reserves are strategic in regards to the ongoing energy crisis.

Qatar and Iran share the largest maritime natural gas base in the world. 

From an economic and energy point of view it’s absolutely strategic. They are allies, they are friends.

The U.S. foreign policy objective is to ultimately destroy and undermine that “friendship” with Iran which is highly valued and supported by Qatari citizens.

The export of gas from South Pars North Dome transits through Iran, Turkey and Russia.

Qatar, Russia and Iran are the largest holders Worldwide of  gas reserves. In 2009 they reached an agreement to create a ‘gas troika’, a trilateral gas cooperation entity including the development of joint projects.

A large number of countries including South Korea, India, Japan, China are importing NLG from Qatar.

Qatar has also a strategic alliance with China.

In November, 2022 ‘QatarEnergy signed a 27-year deal to supply China’s Sinopec with liquefied natural gas”.

Washington’s objective under the disguise of America’s “Major Non-NATO Alliance” with Qatar is intent to:

–Break the Qatar-Iran Partnership

–Exclude Iran from the Joint Maritime Gas Field

-Exert US Control over the Maritime Gas Field in the Persian Gulf

-Weaken and Disable the “Gas Troika” (Russia, Iran, Qatar)

-Create Chaos in the Global Energy Market, 

-Undermine the Trade in Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) to Numerous Countries

 

And it’s taking place in The Qatar Emirate. Will it Succeed? 

In recent developments,

America Is Still Sleeping with the Enemy

The partnership with Iran prevails. Qatar is playing an important role, acting on behalf of Iran. The partnership in natural gas prevails. 

In recent developments (June 23, 2025, early June 24 local time), Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani confirmed Tehran’s acceptance of “the U.S. proposal for a ceasefire”

“During a call with Iranian officials held after Iran’s strikes on a U.S. air base in Qatar on Monday, an official briefed on the negotiations told Reuters early on Tuesday.

The phone call came after U.S. president Donald Trump told Qatar’s emir that Israel had agreed to the ceasefire and asked for Doha’s help persuading Tehran to also agree to the ceasefire deal, the official said.

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