Qatar and the United States are close to finalising a comprehensive defence cooperation agreement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said, noting that the process — underway for years — has accelerated following the recent Israeli attack.
According to Reuters, Rubio said while departing Tel Aviv for Doha: “We have a close partnership with Qatar. The defence cooperation agreement is nearly complete.”
Qatar and the US first formalised their defence ties in 1992, allowing the US to maintain military bases in the Gulf state, notably the Al Udeid Air Base. In 2002, the pact was expanded, turning Al Udeid into the largest US military installation in the Middle East.
Arab media reports say that during then-President Donald Trump’s visit to Qatar in May 2025, the two nations struck $1.2 trillion worth of economic and defence deals.
These included the purchase of 210 Boeing aircraft, MQ-9B drones, Raytheon’s advanced anti-drone systems, defence investments linked to Al Udeid Air Base and joint projects in cutting-edge quantum technology.
The development comes in the wake of last week’s Israeli strike in Doha targeting Hamas political leaders — an attack that drew widespread international condemnation. Qatar, a key US ally, has described it as a violation of its sovereignty.
According to Reuters, Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari told a briefing: “This [Israeli] attack underscores the urgent need for a strategic defence agreement. This is not new, but the process is now moving faster.”
Rubio met Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha, discussing defence cooperation, a Gaza ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages, among other key issues.
Qatar’s government says its top priority at the moment is safeguarding its sovereignty, stressing that other matters cannot be addressed until this is ensured.
For years, Qatar has played a mediating role between Israel and Hamas alongside Egypt and the US. However, that role has come under increased strain following the recent attack.
