Following Israeli strike, Trump signs executive order committing US to defend Qatar if attacked again

The White House has published an executive order from US President Donald Trump instructing the government to view any armed attack on Qatar as “a threat to the peace and security of the United States.”

The order, a notable American commitment to ensure the security of an Arab state, is published some three weeks after an Israeli strike targeting Hamas leaders in Doha prompted criticism from Trump and outrage from the Qataris.

Trump subsequently promised that such an attack would not recur, and this week persuaded Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to apologize to his Qatari counterpart for the strike.

The executive order was issued as part of the formulation of Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza, which Doha has praised and Netanyahu said he accepted.

The order indicates that the US will respond harshly to future armed attacks on Qatar.

“In the event of such an attack, the United States shall 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 and to restore peace and stability,” the order says.

Senior US officials will “ensure a rapid and coordinated response to any foreign aggression against the State of Qatar,” the order says.

The US has a military base on Qatari territory, which was attacked by Iran earlier this year.

Qatar has also served as a mediator over a ceasefire in the Gaza war, and the executive order says, “The secretary of state shall continue to partner with the state of Qatar as and when appropriate for conflict resolution and mediation in recognition of the state of Qatar‘s extensive diplomatic and mediation experience.”