Iran latest: US staff told to leave base in Qatar after Tehran threatens attack in major escalation
The US is pulling staff from a military base in Qatar, after Tehran warned it would strike American targets in the region if Donald Trump orders strikes on Iran.
Tehran warned countries in the region that it would attack if the US engages in military action in Iran in response to the regime’s deadly repression of ongoing protests – a measure Donald Trump has been threatening for days.
The US is now reducing the number of personnel at its Al-Udeid air base in Qatar, the Middle East’s largest US base housing around 10,000 troops.
The government in Doha said, adding that the step was being taken “in response to the current regional tensions”.
In June, some personnel were moved off bases in the Middle East before the US carried out air strikes in Iran.
President Donald Trump threatened to take “very strong action” if the Iranian government starts executing protesters. According to a rights group, 26-year-old Erfan Soltani is scheduled to become the first person executed in relation to the protests.
Meanwhile, US-based HRANA rights group said it verified the deaths of 2,571 people during Iran’s protests, including 2,403 protesters and 147 government-affiliated individuals.
