Trump Hosts Qatari Prime Minister Following Israeli Airstrike on Doha
New York, September 13:
Former U.S. President Donald Trump met with Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, in New York on Friday, just days after an Israeli airstrike in Doha heightened regional tensions.
The two leaders shared a private dinner, which was confirmed by the White House, though no details about the discussion were made public. Qatar’s Deputy Chief of Mission to the U.S., Hamah Al-Muftah, described the dinner as successful, writing on social media platform X, “Great dinner with POTUS. Just ended.”
The meeting came in the wake of Tuesday’s Israeli airstrike in the Qatari capital, which targeted senior Hamas figures. The attack killed five Hamas members and a Qatari security officer. Reports indicate the group had been discussing a U.S.-backed proposal to end the ongoing war in Gaza.
The strike drew widespread condemnation across the Middle East and from international actors, with many questioning Israel’s decision to carry out such a mission in a key diplomatic ally’s territory.
Trump also criticized the Israeli operation, calling it a unilateral move that undermined both U.S. and Israeli strategic interests in the region.
Qatar has played a major role in mediating talks to end the war in Gaza, which has claimed over 64,000 lives since October 2023, according to humanitarian sources.
Before the dinner with Trump, Sheikh Mohammed also met U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the White House, signaling continued high-level engagement between Washington and Doha despite the recent crisis.
