Qatari official says Iran war showed US strategic alliance is not enough

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson of Qatar Majed al-Ansari makes statements regarding recent developments in the region during a press conference Doha, Qatar on May 19, 2026. [Ali Altunkaya – Anadolu Agency]

Majed Al Ansari, spokesman for Qatar’s Foreign Ministry, said today that the war with Iran had shown Gulf Arab states should not rely solely on their strategic partnership with the United States to ensure their security.

Speaking during a panel discussion at the Hili Forum in Abu Dhabi, he said: “We have to realise in the Gulf region that having international forces in the region, having a strategic alliance with the US is very important but is not enough. Self-sufficiency when it comes to security is the only way forward.”

READ: Qatar rejects Iran claim strikes only targeted US military sites

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