The Pentagon says U.S. military operations at the sprawling Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar are unaffected by the raging diplomatic firestorm in which four Arab countries have cut ties with the Qataris over the Kingdom’s alleged support of Iranian.
The air base in Doha is the forward operation headquarters of U.S. Central Command, which is overseeing the war against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. About 10,000 U.S. troops are stationed there.
“We haven’t seen any impact on today’s operations,” said Col. John Thomas, a Central Command spokesman at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla.
Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates announced Monday they were breaking off diplomatic relations with Qatar, recalling personnel, and cutting commercial air service to the Qatari capital of Doha.
The countries accuse Qatar of supporting terrorist groups and backing Iran.
“U.S. military aircraft continue to conduct missions in support of ongoing operations in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. The United States and the Coalition are grateful to the Qataris for their longstanding support of our presence and their enduring commitment to regional security. We have no plans to change our posture in Qatar,” Pentagon spokesman Maj. Adrian J.T. Rankine-Galloway said.
“We encourage all our partners in the region to reduce tensions and work towards common solutions that enable regional security.”
Speaking Monday in Australia, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the U.S. in encouraging the countries involved to sit meet and address their differences.
“I do not expect that this will have any significant impact, if any impact at all, on the unified fight against terrorism in the region or globally,” Tillerson said, speaking to reporters after a U.S.-Australian summit.
That assessment was shared by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who was also in Australia for the defense consultations.
“I am positive there will be no implications coming out of this dramatic situation at all,” Mattis said. “I think it’s Iran’s actions that will speak most loudly, and the diplomatic situation, it will probably take some time — I don’t know how long — but it will be resolved.”
