President Trump has pledged a NATO-style defense guarantee to Qatar, vowing U.S. protection after Israeli strikes killed a Qatari officer.
U.S. President Donald Trump has issued an executive order pledging to defend Qatar against any armed attack, in a move likened to NATO’s Article V security guarantee.
The order, signed on Monday and released by the White House on Wednesday, states that “any armed attack” on Qatar will be regarded as a threat to U.S. peace and security. It further authorizes Washington to take “all lawful and appropriate measures — including diplomatic, economic and, if necessary, military — to defend the interests of the United States and the State of Qatar.”
Trump signed the order the same day he hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House and coordinated a phone call between Netanyahu and the Qatari prime minister, during which Israel apologized for missile strikes in Doha last month that killed a Qatari security officer.
The move is unusual, as treaties guaranteeing mutual defense typically require Senate ratification. Critics note it contrasts with Trump’s “America First” stance and skepticism toward NATO. Still, the president retains discretion over how the U.S. would respond.
Qatar hosts the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East and recently gifted Trump a $400 million jet, which is being refurbished as Air Force One.