President Trump’s administration has formally committed to safeguarding Qatar’s security, even allowing for military action if the country comes under threat. This executive order, signed on September 29, 2025, arrives just weeks after an Israeli air strike targeted Hamas leaders in Qatar, sparking outrage among both Qatari and American officials and casting doubt on the reliability of existing U.S. security pledges to its Gulf ally.
The executive order aims to provide concrete reassurance to Qatar, emphasizing that any aggression against it would be considered “a threat to the peace and security of the United States.” As home to the largest U.S. military installation in the Middle East, Qatar, like many of its regional counterparts, relies heavily on the United States as its primary security guarantor. The recent Israeli attack, carried out by a close American ally, was therefore particularly unsettling for Qatari officials.
The order explicitly states that if Qatar is attacked, the United States is authorized to “take all lawful and appropriate measures — including diplomatic, economic, and, if necessary, military — to defend the interests of the United States and of the State of Qatar.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had defended the September strikes as a necessary part of Israel’s ongoing mission to retaliate against the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and triggered the Gaza war. Netanyahu has consistently accused the Qatari government of offering a “safe haven” to Hamas.
Despite this, Israel has maintained unofficial diplomatic ties with Qatar, which, alongside Egypt, has played a crucial role in mediating efforts to de-escalate the conflict in Gaza.
Hamas officials reported that no senior leaders were killed in the Doha attack. However, the son of Khalil al-Hayya, a key figure reportedly involved in planning the October 2023 attack, was killed. Four other individuals linked to Hamas and a member of Qatar’s internal security forces, Cpl. Bader Saad al-Humaidi al-Dosari, also lost their lives.
In the aftermath of the strikes, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani condemned the incident as “state terror.” His government has long clarified that it hosts Hamas officials at the express request of the United States, a arrangement designed to facilitate communication channels with the group.
On Monday, Netanyahu’s office confirmed that he had a phone conversation with Sheikh Mohammed, during which he conveyed his regret over the death of the Qatari security officer in Doha. He further assured that Israel had no intention of violating Qatar’s sovereignty again. The Qatari foreign ministry corroborated this, stating that Netanyahu had apologized for the attack.
The executive order mandates the U.S. Secretary of Defense to collaborate with other senior officials to ensure continuous “joint contingency planning with the State of Qatar to ensure a rapid and coordinated response to any foreign aggression against the State of Qatar.”
This recent Israeli strike was not the only instance of Qatar coming under attack. In June, Iran launched missiles at the U.S. military installation in Qatar, claiming it was in retaliation for American strikes on its nuclear facilities.
Qatar was among three Arab nations visited by President Trump during a regional tour in May. The country recently gifted a 747 jetliner to the United States, an aircraft President Trump has expressed interest in using as a future Air Force One replacement.