Washington/Doha: The United States has formally pledged to protect Qatar from any external aggression, declaring that any armed attack on Qatari territory will be treated as a direct threat to Washington itself.
The landmark decision came through an Executive Order signed by US President Donald Trump on Monday, marking a rare moment when America extended such an explicit security guarantee to a Gulf Arab state.
In light of continuing threats to the State of Qatar posed by foreign aggression, it is the policy of the United States to guarantee the security and territorial integrity of Qatar against external attack, the order stated.
According to the White House, the US will respond to any future aggression against Qatar with all lawful and appropriate measures ranging from diplomatic and economic pressure to, if necessary, direct military action.
This comes just weeks after an Israeli airstrike on Doha on September 9, which targeted senior leaders of the Palestinian movement Hamas during a meeting on a US-backed Gaza peace proposal. The bombing killed several Palestinians and a Qatari security officer, sparking international condemnation.
During his visit to Washington, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu phoned Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani from the White House to issue an apology, promising that Israel would not repeat such an action.
Qatar, long considered a strategic partner of the United States, hosts the al-Udeid Air Base, the largest American military facility in the Middle East and home to elements of the US Central Command. Analysts say Trump’s decision effectively raises the stakes for any state considering aggression against Doha, turning Qatar’s defense into a core US interest in the region.