U.S. Senator Chris Murphy stated Tuesday that the Department of Defense denied him access to the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar during a recent visit to the Middle East. Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut, described the denial as part of an effort by the U.S. government to conceal the impact and costs of the ongoing Iran war.
Al Udeid Air Base is the largest U.S. military installation in the region. Murphy, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the Pentagon refused to arrange a briefing for him on the war while he was in the region. "I’ve never encountered anything like this in my time in the Senate and it’s part of a deliberate campaign of obfuscation that my Republican colleagues in Congress should demand an end to," Murphy told reporters in Riyadh.
He said that Secretary of State Marco Rubio's office facilitated his visit, arranging meetings with diplomats, which he contrasted with the Pentagon's actions. During his trip, Murphy met with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, among other senior Gulf officials.
Responding to the senator's remarks, a senior Pentagon official stated that Murphy's office had been informed prior to his trip that he would not receive departmental support for accessing the base. This decision was consistent with a directive issued by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on March 3, 2026, which restricted travel to the area. The official added that the Department applies the Secretary’s guidance evenly.
Many members of Congress, including some Republicans, have called on the administration to provide more information regarding the war's cost, strategy, and casualties.