Executive order vowing to defend Qatar in wake of Israel's strike signed by Trump

Dubai: Though it is unclear how much weight the pledge would have, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order pledging to take all available means, including US military force, to defend the energy-rich country of Qatar. 

 The text of the order, which was made available on the White House website on Wednesday but dated Monday, appears to be another measure taken by Trump to reassure Qataris following Israel's surprise attack on the country, which targeted Hamas leaders as they considered accepting a cease-fire with Israel over the Gaza Strip conflict.

The order cites the two countries' “close cooperation” and “shared interest,” vowing to “guarantee the security and territorial integrity of the state of Qatar against external attack.” “The United States shall regard any armed attack on the territory, sovereignty or critical infrastructure of the state of Qatar as a threat to the peace and security of the United States,” the order says.

“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.”

Order follows Netanyahu's apology call

The order apparently came during a visit to Washington on Monday by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump organised a call by Netanyahu to Qatar during the visit in which Netanyahu “expressed his deep regret” over the strike that killed six people, including a member of the Qatari security forces, the White House said.

Qatar's Foreign Ministry described the US pledge as “an important step in strengthening the two countries' close defence partnership.” The Qatari-funded Al Jazeera satellite news network declared: “New Trump executive order guarantees Qatar security after Israeli attack.” Trump also spoke on the phone later Wednesday to Qatar's ruling emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, according to a White House official who was not authorised to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The White House did not release details about the call, though Qatar later said the two men spoke about Doha's efforts to reach a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.

The true scope of the pledge by the US remains in question. Typically, legally binding agreements, or treaties, need to receive the approval of the US Senate.

However, presidents have entered international agreements without the Senate's approval, like President Barack Obama did with Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

And ultimately, any decision to take military action rests with the president. That uncertainty has clouded previous US defence agreements in Trump's second term, like NATO's Article 5 guarantees.

Qatar's order comes as Gulf Arabs reassess their security Qatar, a peninsular nation that sticks out into the Persian Gulf, became fantastically wealthy through its natural gas reserves. It has been a key partner of the US military, allowing its Central Command to have its forward operating base at its vast Al Udeid Air Base.

US President Joe Biden named Qatar as a major non-NATO ally in 2022, in part due to its help during America's chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.

And Qatar has maintained close ties to Trump, whether through a real estate project with his eponymous Trump Organisation by offering the president a Boeing 747 to use as Air Force One.

In the aftermath of the Israeli attack, Saudi Arabia entered a mutual defence agreement with Pakistan, bringing the kingdom under Islamabad's nuclear umbrella.

It's unclear whether other Gulf Arab countries, both worried about Israel and Iran as it faces reimposed United Nations sanctions over its nuclear program, may seek similar arrangements as well with the region's longtime security guarantor.

“The Gulf's centrality in the Middle East and its significance to the United States warrants specific US guarantees beyond President Donald J. Trump's assurances of nonrepetition and dinner meetings,” wrote Bader al-Saif, a history professor at Kuwait University who analyses Gulf Arab affairs.

With PTI inputs