US pulls hundreds of troops from Qatar’s Al Udeid base: Report

WASHINGTON — The The New York Times reported Friday that hundreds of US troops have been withdrawn from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, citing anonymous Pentagon officials.

The report said American forces have also been evacuated from Bahrain, where the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet is headquartered.

The move is being viewed as a precautionary measure amid heightened tensions over a possible US attack on Iran, with Tehran expected to respond by targeting American forces in the region.

In a letter sent Thursday to the UN secretary-general, Iran’s mission to the United Nations warned that if Iran were attacked, “all bases, facilities, and assets of the hostile force in the region would constitute legitimate targets,” adding that the United States would bear “full and direct responsibility for any unpredictable and uncontrolled consequences.”

Al Udeid Air Base is the largest US military installation in the Middle East and hosts approximately 10,000 troops.