US temporarily moves Middle East command amid Iran tension

The US Air Force temporarily moved its Middle East command and control from Qatar to South Carolina at the weekend in a move considered to be a signal to Iran.

The shift in the control of air operations from Al Udeid Air Base to Shaw in South Carolina, first reported first by The Washington Post, took place on Saturday and was "planned for a while,” a US source told The National.

This is the first time the US command had been moved out of the region since it was established in Saudi Arabia during the 1991 Gulf war.

Al Udeid took back control on Sunday after 24 hours of the tactical move.

Air Force officials told The Post that recent incidents involving Iran helped to add urgency to the project.

Read the full article and more in The National.