Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced that the United States is finalizing an “enhanced defense cooperation agreement” with Qatar, just days after an unprecedented Israeli airstrike targeted Hamas negotiators in Doha, escalating tensions across the region.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Rubio confirmed that the new agreement is “nearly complete” and reflects Washington’s ongoing commitment to bolstering security ties with its key Gulf ally.
“The enhanced defense cooperation agreement with Qatar is close to being finalized,” Rubio stated, in reference to ongoing discussions between U.S. and Qatari officials.
The announcement comes in the wake of a controversial Israeli airstrike on September 9, which targeted senior Hamas figures reportedly operating from Doha. The attack stunned regional leaders and provoked sharp condemnation from Qatar, a key diplomatic broker in the fragile negotiations aimed at ending the war in Gaza.
While in Israel, Rubio met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and commented on the aftermath of the attack: “We understand that Qatar is upset by what happened,” he said, in a measured acknowledgment of the diplomatic fallout.
U.S.-Qatar Strategic Talks Underway
A senior diplomat familiar with the negotiations told CNN that the enhanced security deal was among the key topics discussed during Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani’s recent visit to Washington, where he met with U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday.
According to the source, the discussions also covered potential Qatari purchases of more advanced U.S. military equipment. Specific details of the forthcoming agreement have not been disclosed, but it is expected to significantly deepen existing defense ties.
Qatar currently hosts the largest U.S. military installation in the Middle East the Al Udeid Air Base which the U.S. State Department has described as “indispensable” to American operations across the region.
Gulf Arab states, including Qatar, have consistently sought closer security assurances and arms cooperation with the United States, and are among the world’s largest purchasers of American military hardware.
Regional Diplomacy and Mounting Friction
Rubio’s announcement coincides with heightened geopolitical tension following Israel’s strike in Doha and comes on the heels of an emergency Arab-Islamic summit hosted in the Qatari capital. The summit, attended by leaders from across the region, called for greater unity and coordination in response to Israel’s intensifying military operations in Gaza.
While the summit delivered a strongly worded condemnation of Israel’s actions, it stopped short of announcing punitive measures or concrete diplomatic shifts.
During his visit to Doha on Tuesday, Rubio also met with Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The meeting followed his high-profile discussions with Netanyahu in Jerusalem, where Rubio reiterated full U.S. support for Israel’s military strategy in Gaza a position that places Washington at odds with many Arab and Islamic nations.
Balancing Act Amid Shifting Alliances
The evolving U.S.-Qatar security pact underscores Washington’s effort to maintain and strengthen alliances in the Gulf, even as regional tensions flare due to Israel’s widening conflict with Hamas and increased military activity in areas such as Yemen and Lebanon.
The move also reflects a delicate balancing act: supporting Israel’s military campaign while preserving strategic partnerships with Arab states increasingly frustrated by the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and what they see as a lack of restraint from Tel Aviv.
The timing of the agreement so close to a major diplomatic rift has not gone unnoticed. Analysts suggest that while it may reassure Qatar of Washington’s long-term commitment, it could also be seen as a U.S. effort to contain fallout from Israel’s aggressive military posture, particularly in a country that has long played a central mediating role in Middle Eastern diplomacy.
As the region continues to reel from fast-moving developments, the finalization of the U.S.-Qatar security deal could mark a significant shift in how the Gulf balances security assurances with mounting political and public pressure over the war in Gaza.
