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By Ellie Cook and Shane Croucher
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Select personnel are leaving the U.S.'s largest military base in the Middle East because of "current regional tensions," the Qatari government has said, after U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly warned of a response to Iranian authorities cracking down on protesters in the country.
Some personnel at the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar were told to leave the facility by the end of the day, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing three anonymous diplomats.
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"Such measures are being undertaken in response to the current regional tensions," the Qatari government said in a statement.
Why It Matters
The United States has a heavy footprint across the Middle East, including permanent bases, outposts, temporary sites and joint installations. The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East, northeast Africa and across to central and southern Asia.
Reuters separately reported on Wednesday that the U.S. was withdrawing some personnel from bases across the region, citing an anonymous U.S. official. The news agency had reported Iran had warned American allies in the region that Tehran would strike U.S. bases on their territory if Trump gave the go-ahead for attacks in support of widespread protests rattling the country's regime.
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What To Know
The Qatari government said it "continues to implement all necessary measures to safeguard the security and safety of its citizens and residents as a top priority, including actions related to the protection of critical infrastructure and military facilities."
It is unclear which personnel are affected.
Newsweek reached out to the State Department for comment. The U.S. embassy in Doha referred Newsweek to CENTCOM, which declined to comment.
Trump has threatened to hit Iran's regime "very hard where it hurts" if Iranian officials execute demonstrators, and told protesters to maintain their presence in the streets. "If they hang them, you're going to see some things," the president told CBS News on Tuesday.
Mohammad Movahedi Azad, Iran's prosecutor general, said on Saturday that protesters would be considered "enemies of God," which carries the death penalty in Iran.
The speaker of Iran's parliament also said on Sunday that if the U.S. attacks Iran, all U.S. military bases and assets in the region would be "legitimate targets."
Trump separately called the protesters in Iran "patriots" on Tuesday, urging them to "take over your institutions." The president said in a post on Truth Social that he had "cancelled all meetings" with Iranian officials until the "senseless killing of protesters STOPS." Without elaborating, he added: "HELP IS ON ITS WAY."
Iranian state media reported on Wednesday that Tehran had formally complained to the United Nations over the remarks.
Trump officials have discussed how the U.S. could attack Iran if needed, The Wall Street Journal reported this weekend. An unnamed U.S. official told the newspaper that one of the options on the table was a large-scale airstrike on multiple Iranian military targets.
The president has also been presented with an option to strike non-military sites in Iran, The New York Times reported.
At least 2,403 protesters have been killed in just over two weeks of unrest across Iran, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA). The demonstrations were sparked by economic malaise, but quickly spiraled into a challenge to the entire regime in Tehran.
Iran's theocratic regime, established when clerics came to power during the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution, is still recovering from its brief but destructive war with Israel in June 2025, which ended shortly after the U.S. attacked multiple Iranian nuclear sites. Tehran then attacked the Al Udeid Air Base in retaliation, but no U.S. personnel were injured.
CENTCOM said on Monday it had opened a new "coordination cell" at Al Udeid to improve air defenses in the region.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on Tuesday: "Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING - TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price. I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY."
Update 1/14/26, 8 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Update 1/14/26, 10:31 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information and a new headline.
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