US Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy says the Pentagon denied him access to Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar during a visit to the Middle East. Murphy, who was traveling with a congressional delegation, says the denial occurred while he was in Doha, before moving on to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Murphy frames the move as part of a broader attempt by the US government to conceal the impact and costs of the Iran war, which began in February amid actions involving the US and Israel. Both outlets note that Al Udeid is the largest US military base in the region and has repeatedly been targeted by Iran during the conflict. The Pentagon has not provided a public response to the allegations in the reports, and the outlets present Murphy’s account and characterization rather than an explanation from the Defense Department.
While both sources describe the denial and Murphy’s accusation that it is meant to “hide the costs” of the Iran war, they differ slightly in wording and emphasis, with one focusing on the claim of concealment and the other explicitly citing “to hide the costs.”
