By Simon Lewis and Trevor Hunnicutt

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump has pledged to treat any armed attack on Qatar as a threat to the United States' own security, according to a document published on Wednesday that says U.S. forces could step in to defend the Middle Eastern nation.

The executive order - which appears to significantly deepen the U.S. commitment to its Middle East ally - comes after Israel last month attempted to kill leaders of Hamas with an airstrike on Doha.

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That strike, launched with little advance notice to the Trump administration, caused consternation in Washington given the close U.S. relationship with Qatar, which hosts the largest U.S. military base in the region.

PLEDGE TO RESPOND

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