Iran War Proved US Can No Longer Be Relied On: Qatar

The ongoing Iran war has demonstrated that Gulf countries cannot blindly rely solely on their strategic partnerships with the United States for security and defence, said Majed Al-Ansari, spokesperson for Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Speaking at the Hili Forum in Abu Dhabi, the senior Qatari official said, “The presence of international forces in the Gulf region or strategic alliances with major powers such as the United States are extremely important, but they are not enough for security. Building our own capabilities or achieving self-reliance in defence and security is now the only way forward.”

He further said, “We need our international partners and allies, but we cannot ensure our own security by relying solely on them.” Qatar is home to Al Udeid Air Base, the largest US military base in the Middle East. Although Qatar has also played a mediating role in the Iran-US crisis, the indirect attacks and growing security concerns surrounding energy infrastructure in the region during the war have raised serious questions about the Gulf states’ policy of relying primarily on external security guarantees. Against this backdrop, Doha is calling for a major shift in its regional security strategy.

Source: Al Jazeera