The United States has advised some personnel to leave its largest military base in the Middle East, diplomats said Wednesday, as Washington weighs possible intervention in Iran and Tehran warns it would retaliate by striking U.S. bases hosted by American allies across the region.
Three diplomats said some personnel had been told to leave Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar by Wednesday evening. One diplomat described the move as a posture change rather than an ordered evacuation and said no specific reason had been given.
Al Udeid, which houses about 10,000 troops, serves as the forward headquarters of U.S. Central Command and is a critical hub for American operations across the Middle East.
The U.S. embassy in Doha had no immediate comment. Qatar’s foreign ministry did not respond to requests for confirmation.
Iran warns allies over potential retaliation
The advisory comes as Iran faces nationwide unrest and as President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned that Washington could intervene in support of protesters challenging Iran’s clerical establishment. The unrest is widely seen as one of the most serious threats to Iran’s rulers since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
A senior Iranian official said Tehran has warned U.S. allies in the region that their territory would not be spared if Washington attacks Iran. The official said Iran had told countries including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Qatar that U.S. bases on their soil would be targeted in the event of an American strike.
The official said Tehran had urged those countries to prevent any U.S. military action. Direct contacts between Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff have been suspended, the official said, reflecting mounting tensions.
Trump has escalated his rhetoric in recent days. In an interview, he vowed “very strong action” if Iran executes protesters and urged Iranians to continue demonstrating and take over institutions, declaring that “help is on the way,” without providing details.
According to an Israeli assessment, Trump has decided to intervene, though the scope and timing remain unclear. An Israeli government official said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet was briefed late Tuesday on the chances of U.S. intervention or regime collapse in Iran, an adversary Israel fought a 12-day war with last year.
Past retaliation, rising toll inside Iran
Iran has previously shown it is willing to retaliate against U.S. forces. Last year, more than a week before the United States launched airstrikes on Iran, some U.S. personnel and families were moved off bases in the Middle East. After the U.S. attacks in June, Iran fired missiles at Al Udeid in Qatar.
Inside Iran, the toll from the unrest continues to rise. A U.S.-based rights group said it had verified the deaths of 2,403 protesters and 147 government-affiliated individuals. An Iranian official said about 2,000 people had been killed. The rights group also reported 18,137 arrests.
Iranian authorities have accused the United States and Israel of fomenting the unrest and have blamed violence on what they describe as terrorists who attacked security forces, mosques and public property.
Iran’s chief justice, visiting a Tehran prison where arrested protesters are being held, urged swift judgment and punishment for those accused of severe crimes, saying speed was essential to prevent further violence.
State media said funerals would be held Wednesday in Tehran for more than 100 civilians and security personnel killed in the unrest. Kurdish rights group Hengaw reported that a 26-year-old man arrested in connection with protests in the city of Karaj was to be executed, though it said it could not confirm whether the sentence had been carried out due to an internet and communications blackout. Reuters could not independently confirm the report.
Iranian state media said senior officials have held contacts with counterparts in Qatar, the UAE and Turkey, all U.S. allies. Araqchi told the Emirati foreign minister that calm had prevailed and that Iran was determined to defend its sovereignty and security from any foreign interference.
The United States maintains forces across the Middle East, including in Bahrain, home to the headquarters of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, as well as in Qatar.
The U.S. State Department urged American citizens to leave Iran, including by land through Turkey or Armenia.
Trump has said military action is among the options he is considering to punish Iran over the crackdown. He also announced 25% tariffs on products from any country doing business with Iran, a major oil exporter.
Asked to clarify what he meant by “help is on the way,” Trump told reporters they would have to figure that out, adding that he expected to receive further information on the situation in Iran.
