US disperses aircraft from Qatar base amid rising regional tensions

The Al Udeid Air Base near Doha, a key US military hub in the Middle East, appears to have cleared out many of its aircraft, according to The Associated Press.

A satellite image taken on Wednesday by Planet Labs PBC and reviewed by AP shows an unusually empty tarmac where transport planes, fighter jets, and drones are normally stationed.

The US military has not issued any official comment on the situation. However, the move follows a similar dispersal of naval vessels from the US Navy’s 5th Fleet base in Bahrain. Such redeployments are often used as a precaution to reduce vulnerability in the event of an attack