Iran’s warnings against U.S. forces have triggered a visible surge in American air power at Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base, one of Washington’s most critical hubs in the Gulf. Reports of F-35 stealth fighters, B-52 strategic bombers and KC-135 refuelling tankers operating from the base underscore a heightened state of readiness as tensions with Tehran rise. With Al Udeid sitting just a few hundred kilometres from Iran, the deployment is being read as both a deterrent signal and a message of rapid strike capability.