United States is cutting staff at its Al-Udeid air base in Qatar as a “precautionary measure.”
A statement from Qatari administration said, the action was being conducted “in response to the current regional tensions”.
This comes after US President Donald Trump threatened to take “very strong action” against Iran if anti-government demonstrators were put to death by the administration.
Iran claims that if the US attacks, it would strike back.
Rights organizations claim that the recent violent crackdown by Iranian authorities has killed over 2,400 anti-government protestors.
The government of Qatar promised to “implement all necessary measures to safeguard the security and safety of its citizens and residents as a top priority including actions related to the protection of critical infrastructure and military facilities” .
In June, Iran claimed to be retaliating for US strikes against its nuclear sites by launching a missile attack on the Al-Udeid air base.
The 24-hectare (59-acre) Al-Udeid air base located in the desert outside of Doha, the capital of Qatar is the largest US military installation in the Middle East.
Additionally, it houses the US military’s headquarters for all air operations in the area which employs roughly 10,000 personnel. On a rotating basis, several members of the UK military also serve there.
The Reuters news agency, citing diplomats, stated that although some employees had been instructed to leave the site, there was no apparent indication that a sizable number of troops were being bussed out, unlike in the hours preceding the Iranian strike last year.
Donald Trump was cautioned on Wednesday by a senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, that the June strike had shown Iran’s capacity to retaliate against any attack.