Qatar and the United States are nearing the completion of an enhanced defense cooperation agreement. This announcement came from senior U.S. diplomat Marco Rubio as he traveled to Doha from Tel Aviv on Tuesday, September 16, 2025. His visit followed widespread condemnation over Israel’s recent actions against Hamas political leaders in Qatar.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that he would not rule out additional strikes on Hamas leaders, regardless of their location. This declaration coincided with a summit where leaders from Arab and Islamic nations gathered to show solidarity with Qatar after the previous week’s Israeli attack within the Gulf state.
During his departure from Tel Aviv for Doha, Mr. Rubio urged Qatar to maintain its crucial role as a mediator between Israel and Hamas. He stressed the urgent need for a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict, noting that there is “a very short window of time in which a deal could happen.”
Rubio emphasized Qatar’s unique position, stating, “If any country in the world can help mediate it, Qatar is the one. They’re the ones that can do it.”
Qatar previously denounced the Israeli attack as “cowardly and treacherous,” but affirmed that it would not abandon its mediation efforts, which it undertakes with Egypt and the United States. Rubio further elaborated on the strong ties, stating, “We have a close partnership with the Qataris. In fact, we have an enhanced defense cooperation agreement that we’ve been developing, and we are now on the verge of finalizing it.”