Trump offers protection to Qatar, says attack on Doha a threat to US

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order pledging to use all measures, including military action, to defend Qatar, amid rising tensions in the region following an Israeli strike that killed six people.

The order highlights the "close cooperation" and "shared interest" between the two nations, vowing to "guarantee the security and territorial integrity of the state of Qatar against external attack".

"The United States shall regard any armed attack on the territory, sovereignty, or critical infrastructure of the state of Qatar as a threat to the peace and security of the United States," the order states.

It adds that in such an event, Washington will take "all lawful and appropriate measures, including diplomatic, economic, and, if necessary, military, to defend the interests of the United States and of the state of Qatar and to restore peace and stability".

The executive order coincided with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington on Monday. During the visit, Trump facilitated a phone call between Netanyahu and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, in which the Israeli leader "expressed his deep regret" over the strike.

Netanyahu apologised for Israel's surprise operation in Doha, which targeted senior Hamas leaders and killed five people, including the son of senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya and an aide, Jihad Labad.

The White House said Trump "expressed his desire to put Israeli-Qatar relations on a positive track after years of mutual grievances and miscommunications".

Netanyahu reportedly assured Qatar that such an attack would not occur again, while PM al-Thani welcomed the assurances and emphasised Qatar's readiness to continue contributing to regional security.

The Doha strike had strained US-Israel relations. Trump reportedly



rebuked Netanyahu in a heated phone call, calling the attack "not wise" and expressing frustration that the US had been informed of the operation by its military rather than Israel.

Some experts, however, suggest Trump's public outrage may have been for show, while Axios reported that Netanyahu had informed Trump of the plans on September 11, a claim Trump has consistently denied.

The White House said Trump "expressed his desire to put Israeli-Qatar relations on a positive track after years of mutual grievances and miscommunications".

Netanyahu reportedly assured Qatar that such an attack would not occur again, while PM al-Thani welcomed the assurances and emphasised Qatar's readiness to continue contributing to regional security.

The Doha strike had strained US-Israel relations. Trump reportedly rebuked Netanyahu in a heated phone call, calling the attack "not wise" and expressing frustration that the US had been informed of the operation by its military rather than Israel.

Some experts, however, suggest Trump's public outrage may have been for show, while Axios reported that Netanyahu had informed Trump of the plans on September 11, a claim Trump has consistently denied.

Qatar, a peninsular nation in the Persian Gulf, is one of the wealthiest countries in the world due to its vast natural gas reserves. It has long served as a strategic US partner, hosting the forward operating base for America's Central Command at Al Udeid Air Base. In 2022, then President Joe Biden designated Qatar a major non-NATO ally, partly in recognition of its assistance during the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The order comes as other Gulf nations weigh security arrangements in light of regional instability. Following the Israeli strike, Saudi Arabia signed a mutual defence pact with Pakistan, bringing the kingdom under Islamabad's nuclear umbrella.