President Donald Trump turned heads when he recently signed an executive order pledging to defend the state of Qatar from attack and – thereby – protect American interests. The language of the order is clear: If Qatar is attacked, “the United States will take all lawful and appropriate measures – including diplomatic, economic and, if necessary, military.”
The move comes after Israel, another close US ally, hit Qatar with airstrikes on Hamas officials. Some people, who do not understand the full context of the president’s Middle East peace strategy, have questioned this order, even though Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has since apologized for the attacks and promised no further action in Qatar.
The truth is that Trump’s executive order is yet another example of his continued commitment to protecting American interests in the Middle East. During his first term, he stated that “The nation of Qatar has unfortunately historically been a financier of terrorism at a very high level.”
President Donald Trump attends the 80th session of the General Assembly at United Nations Headquarters on September 23, 2025 in New York City. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
The Biden administration rewarded Qatar’s support during its withdrawal from Afghanistan by designating the country as a major non-NATO ally in 2022. We are in a new strategic calculus surrounding Qatar, and this is the context in which Trump has taken such a bold step.
FROM OCTOBER 7 CAPTIVE TO FREEDOM: PRESIDENT TRUMP SAVED ME – AND I BELIEVE HE CAN FREE THE REMAINING HOSTAGES
President Trump interprets the strategic moment differently than any American president before him. Qatar’s announcement puts all parties in the region on notice: Israel carried out military strikes against Doha. She won’t do that again anytime soon. Iran has hit Qatar. It will take thinking long and hard about doing something close. The Saudis are working with the Pakistanis for mutual defense. Trump has checkmated. Hamas’s political office in Qatar is simply less relevant now.
Trump forces peace by clarifying options and the game for long-standing divisions from the Levant to the Gulf. This brings the broader Middle East closer to peace than it has been in years.
HOW TRUMP USES THE SAME STRATEGY TO RESTRICT BIG PHARMA AND ENSURE PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST
Who else could staunchly support Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas and Iran’s nuclear program while simultaneously cracking down on Netanyahu for actively pursuing peace? There is a lot of nuance in this approach.
This is the president’s goal: a lasting peace deal, not just between Israel and Hamas, but one that brings all parties in the Middle East to the table. This is why the United States has been so involved in brokering a deal in the Middle East and has relied on the positive relationships Trump has built through trade and diplomacy.
America has made it clear that there is some room for negotiation, but some things will not change. The most important of these is that Hamas must disarm. This is a condition for any lasting peace and Trump knows it. That is why the twenty-part plan is ‘take it or leave it’ on the condition of disarmament.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS ADVICE
Further proof of the genius of this approach is the widespread support the plan has received from a wide range of countries, both in the Middle East and Europe. It has received support from countries both for and against Palestinian statehood. The plan has served as a unifying beacon for a region (and a world) that has long wanted peace but has never had a leader courageous and tenacious enough to make that dream a reality.
Another consequence of this broad support is the true isolation of Hamas. They are the only ones in favor of their continued militarization. In fact, through their continued opposition to peace, they have alienated virtually anyone who might sympathize with some of their nonviolent goals. That puts Hamas under enormous pressure – pressure that is both deliberate and calculated to move the Middle East toward lasting peace.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
All this comes as Trump has redoubled US and European support for Ukraine to find a way to hasten the end of the terrible war in Europe, another example of the administration making good on promises made during the presidential campaign. The approach should sound familiar.
The president gave Russia every opportunity to end the conflict peacefully. Despite these efforts, Moscow refused and continued its aggression against Ukraine. Now, as a last resort – much like the situation with Iran’s nuclear program – the United States is providing additional support to its allies, all in service of the ultimate goal, which has always been and always will be lasting peace, not just for the Middle East, but for the world. Trump is determined to be the peace strategist.
CLICK HERE TO FROM KIRON SKINNER
