US President Donald Trump and Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani meeting during the ceasefire summit in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, on October 13. Blondet Eliot/Abaca/Sipa USA

As he flew to the Middle East to celebrate his diplomatic victory on a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza, President Donald Trump heaped praise on one ally in particular: Qatar.

“Qatar was a tremendous help to getting this done. I hope people can realize that,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One. “It was very tough and very dangerous for Qatar. They were very brave.”

The Gulf nation has long been a broker in diplomatic negotiations but its key role as mediator, along with Egypt, in the Gaza talks further cemented its stature in the eyes of the US president.

In a sign of the warm relationship with

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