Saudi Arabia, Qatar discuss post Donald Trump security guarantee situation
Saudi Arabia’s Defence Minister
Prince Khalid bin Salman held a phone call on Thursday with Qatar’s Deputy
Prime Minister and Defence Minister Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani to
discuss military co-operation and regional security.
Prince Khalid said in a post on X
that the talks centred on “the fraternal relations between our two brotherly
countries in the defence field and ways to strengthen them,” alongside a review
of regional and international developments.
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to strengthen military and intelligence alliance against external threats
The discussion came a day after US President Donald Trump issued an unprecedented security guarantee to Qatar, pledging to defend the Gulf state against any armed attack under conditions similar to Nato’s Article 5. The order declared that Washington would treat any aggression against Qatari territory, sovereignty or critical infrastructure as a threat to US peace and security, and respond with diplomatic, economic, or, if necessary, military action.
The move followed an Israeli strike
on Doha last month that targeted Hamas leaders, killing a Qatari security
officer. The attack drew strong condemnation across the Gulf, with Saudi Crown
Prince Mohammed bin Salman expressing support for Qatar’s right to defend
itself. It was the second assault on Qatari soil this year, after Iran targeted
Al Udeid Air Base during the June Israel-Iran conflict.
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Analysts say the US pledge underscores Qatar’s strategic importance, as the country hosts the largest American military base in the Middle East and serves as the forward headquarters of US Central Command. The expanded guarantee is viewed as a landmark step in Washington’s security commitments to the Gulf.
Source: The National