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Doha, September 23, 2026. At the United Nations podium on Tuesday, Donald Trump presented Iran with a binary choice: "potential greatness or annihilation," affirming that it would be up to Iran to decide whether to "annihilate the Islamic Republic." A few minutes later, he announced a "very good" and "very productive" three-hour meeting between American and Iranian officials in New York, led on the American side by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, with another session planned "in the very near future." He mentioned a possible agreement after the November midterm elections, estimating that Tehran "is waiting to see" how they will unfold.

On the same Tuesday, the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, spoke before the General Assembly, stating that the Gulf is going through "one of its most dangerous phases" due to the American-Israeli war against Iran, advocating for diplomacy as the only lasting solution. The statement contrasts with Washington's threat-then-dialogue sequence: for Doha, which hosts the largest American base in the region, the issue is far from rhetorical. Iranian media also reported the sound of an explosion near the Iranian island of Qeshm, in the Strait of Hormuz, without any cause being established — an episode that, in this context, recalls the proximity of the risk for the Gulf monarchies.

On a completely different note, Trump praised Qatar's management of humanitarian aid to Gaza, ensuring that the funds are going "where they are needed." This endorsement comes after a series of accusations relayed by Israeli media and an article in The New Yorker mentioning irregularities in Qatar's distribution. The Qatar International Media Office denounced documents it claims are falsified, allegedly circulated by Israeli far-right figures, and reaffirmed that it has never funded Hamas.

For Doha, these three threads converge: a region considered to be in a maximum danger zone, a diplomatic opening welcomed with caution, and a humanitarian reputation that must now be publicly defended, with the support of the American president himself.