Israel-Iran battle: US removes warplanes from Al Udeid Airbase in Qatar; see satellite images

Al Udeid Air Base outdoors of Doha, Qatar, after many plane on its tarmac left, June 18, 2025 (left), and a MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter hovering over the USS Carl Vinson plane service whereas working in the Middle East. (AP)

Satellite images present that dozens of US army plane are now not seen on the tarmac at a serious US base in Qatar, information company AFP reported. This could also be a step to guard them from potential Iranian air strikes, because the United States considers whether or not to hitch Israel in its ongoing battle with Iran in the Middle East.Images from Planet Labs PBC on June 5, the AFP report says, confirmed almost 40 army plane at Al Udeid Air Base. These included transport plane just like the Hercules C-130 and reconnaissance planes. By June 19, a brand new picture confirmed solely three plane seen on the tarmac. The US embassy in Qatar mentioned Thursday that entry to the bottom can be restricted “out of an abundance of caution and in light of ongoing regional hostilities,” and requested personnel to “exercise increased vigilance.” The White House mentioned on Thursday that US President Donald Trump will decide in the following two weeks on whether or not to help Israel’s army strikes on Iran. Iran could reply by focusing on US bases in the area.“He will make a decision within the next two weeks” about taking a direct army position in the battle, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt instructed reporters at a press briefing.Aircraft, personnel, and amenities at Al Udeid base can be “extremely vulnerable” attributable to its “close proximity” to Iran, Mark Schwartz, a former US Army lieutenant basic and protection researcher on the Rand Corporation, was quoted as saying by the AFP. Schwartz, who has served in the Middle East, instructed AFP that even shrapnel may make the plane “non-mission capable.” “You want to reduce risk to US forces, both personnel and equipment,” he mentioned. The plane which might be now not seen on the tarmac could have been moved into hangars or relocated to different bases in the realm.US forces in the area have been lively since Israel started its strikes on Iran virtually per week in the past. An further plane service is on its method, and there was elevated plane motion. AFP report additionally mentions that open-source knowledge monitoring of the motion of plane discovered that between June 15 and 18, a minimum of 27 army refueling planes — KC-46A Pegasus and KC-135 Stratotanker — flew from the US to Europe. As of late Wednesday, 25 of these planes remained in Europe, whereas solely two had returned to the United States, in line with the info.