The United States and Qatar have solidified their military partnership with the establishment of a new Qatari Emiri Air Force facility at the Mountain Home Airbase in Idaho. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the agreement during a meeting with his Qatari counterpart, Saoud bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, at the Pentagon on Friday. The facility will serve as a training ground for Qatari pilots to operate F-15 fighter jets, enhancing combined training, lethality, and interoperability between the two nations. Hegseth emphasized the strength of the partnership, stating, ‘You can count on us.’ The announcement follows President Donald Trump’s executive order last month, which pledged to use all measures, including military force, to defend Qatar. This order underscores an extraordinary security pact between the US and its key Arab ally, akin to aspects of a NATO alliance. The move comes in the wake of recent tensions, including Israeli air strikes in Doha and Iran’s attack on the al-Udeid Air Base, the US’s largest military facility in the Middle East, located in Qatar. Qatar has also played a pivotal role in mediating ceasefire efforts in Gaza, further cementing its strategic importance in the region.