Doha Is Still Counting on Washington

Doha Is Still Counting on Washington

After suffering two attacks, Qatar is doubling down on its security strategy.

US President Donald Trump greets Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani during a meeting aboard Air Force One in Doha on October 25. November 12, 2025, 9:56 AM Comment icon View Comments ( )

Israel’s Sept. 9 strike on Qatar set off a flurry of debate about how the country and its Gulf neighbors would respond. Coming on the heels of an Iranian strike against Qatar’s Al-Udeid Air Base over the summer, the attack suggested the limits of Qatar’s security policies: Neither an alliance with Washington nor a carefully crafted role as regional mediator could protect Doha from successive attacks by rival powers. As a result, some analysts wondered if Qatar, lik