New York Times: Hundreds of American troops evacuated from Al Udeid base in Qatar
The New York Times reported on Friday, February 20th, citing Pentagon officials, that hundreds of American troops have been evacuated from the Al Udeid base in Qatar amid rising tensions between Washington and Tehran.
Al Udeid is considered the largest American military base in the Middle East and serves as the main headquarters for the United States Central Command (CENTCOM).
The newspaper also reported that despite the significant increase in American military presence in the region, some American forces have also been withdrawn from bases in Bahrain, which hosts the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet.
According to the New York Times, a U.S. military official stated that CENTCOM has kept two aircraft carriers in the Middle East at a considerable distance from Iran to prevent them from becoming targets of attack.