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A top Qatari official has said that his country will begin reassessing its security partnership with the United States following Israel’s surprise airstrike in Doha.

Getting into it: In an interview with The Hill, Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari, who also serves as an adviser to the prime minister, said Qatar is entering high-level discussions with the US to reexamine the terms and scope of their defense cooperation in light of what he called a grave and unprecedented violation of Qatari sovereignty. While the country has historically viewed Israel as a distant threat, the September 9 strike (which killed five Hamas officials and a Qatari security officer) has triggered what al-Ansari described as a “fundamental shift” in Qatar’s national security outlook. He noted that any future partnership will need to include stronger guarantees against uncoordinated or hostile actions by US allies, such as Israel, especially given the close proximity of American troops and civilians to the impact zone.

Al-Ansari was also critical of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling him an “unhinged, narcissistic leader” and accusing him of deliberately undermining the fragile negotiations aimed at securing a ceasefire in Gaza and releasing Israeli hostages. The Qatari diplomat suggested that the strike on Doha was not a tactical necessity, but a political calculation by Netanyahu to torpedo peace talks. “It is very clear that Prime Minister Netanyahu has made sure that he would kill any chance of talks continuing or happening,” al-Ansari said, warning that targeting the mediator in a negotiation not only derails diplomacy but also signals dangerous intent toward any country hosting dialogue.

This assessment appears to align with internal concerns within the Trump administration. A US official, speaking anonymously to Politico, expressed frustration, saying “every time they’re making progress, it seems like [Netanyahu] bombs someone,” reinforcing the belief among some in Washington that Israel may be intentionally sabotaging diplomatic breakthroughs to avoid concessions or slow international scrutiny.

Despite the gravity of the strike, al-Ansari clarified that Qatar is not seeking immediate retaliation, but is pursuing legal avenues through international institutions and expects US cooperation in addressing the fallout. He emphasized that this reassessment is not a threat to the US–Qatar relationship, but a necessary recalibration in response to a new reality where “the gravest concern we have is being attacked by Israel, which has never before been the case in our history.”