Persian Gulf Chameleon: Qatar's Foreign Policy and America's Strategic Conundrum
Subject Areas : International RelationsSyed Mohammad Reza Mosavi 1 , ramin bakhshi 2
1 - Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Studies, Kermanshah University of Technology, Kermanshah, Iran
2 - PhD student in International Relations at Allameh Tabatabai University
Keywords: Qatari foreign policy, United States of America, asymmetric diplomacy, Gulf Cooperation Council, Middle East,
Abstract :
Qatar’s foreign policy, utilizing tools such as international media, active diplomacy, relations with militia groups, global investments, and strategic hedging, has presented a unique model among small countries. This model has, on the one hand, led to an increase in Qatar’s influence at the regional and international levels, and on the other hand, has had contradictory consequences for the interests of the United States in the Middle East. The main question of this research is how Qatar’s foreign policy patterns have affected the strategic interests of the United States in the Middle East region? The research hypothesis is that Qatar’s asymmetric and balancing foreign policy (including simultaneous relations with the United States, militia organizations, and competitors) has both strengthened and weakened US geopolitical interests in the region by creating simultaneous opportunities and threats. The research findings show that although Qatar acts as an ally by hosting the largest US air base in the region and making major investments in US industries, its policies sometimes conflict with US counterterrorism and security priorities by supporting groups such as Hamas and the Taliban. As a result, Washington-Doha relations are complex and strategically ambiguous, the management of which requires a review of US diplomatic approaches in the region.
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