A joint statement said the topics covered this year included “economic and security cooperation to emerging technology and fostering connections among cities and communities.”

Qatar and the United States held their sixth Strategic Dialogue in Washington, DC, on Tuesday where the discussions centred on efforts to halt the war in Gaza and the development of bilateral relations.

Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken opened the latest Strategic Dialogue. 

Speaking at a joint press briefing, Blinken described Qatar as “an exceptional” U.S. partner, reiterating his appreciation for its efforts during the 2021 events in Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover.

At the time, Qatar carried out history’s largest airlift of people when it evacuated more than 80,000 Afghans and foreigners from the country. 

U.S. President Joe Biden cited Qatar’s efforts at the time when he designated it as a major non-NATO ally when he met Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in 2022.

Commenting on more recent events, Blinken told the press that there is now more focus on the situation in Gaza, where he said there is an opportunity for an immediate ceasefire.

“Here we have an opportunity for an immediate ceasefire that can bring hostages home, that can dramatically increase the amount of humanitarian assistance getting into Palestinians who so desperately need it, and can also set the conditions for an enduring resolution,” he said.

Washington has repeatedly rejected any permanent halt in the war in Gaza while supporting pauses to release captives from Hamas.

Mediated by Qatar and Egypt, a truce last year between November 24 and December 1 enabled the release of at least 110 Israeli and foreign captives from Gaza. 

At least 130 captives are believed to be still in Gaza, of which at least 30 have been killed by the non-stop Israeli attacks.

Qatar has been vocally calling for a comprehensive ceasefire in Gaza while describing the Israeli war as a “genocide” on multiple occasions. 

Sheikh Mohammed also thanked Washington’s support for the Gaza talks, stressing that Qatar will be persistent to ensure a deal happens.

“Qatar, the United States, and our partners will be always persistent to make sure that this deal happens, despite whoever is trying to undermine the efforts of bringing peace.  We want to bring peace.  We want to see an end of the humanitarian suffering; we want to see the hostages back with their families,” the top Qatari official said.

The heavyweight Gulf mediator has been on the receiving end of criticism from right-wing Western politicians and Israeli officials, despite its efforts to secure the release of captives from Hamas.

This was seen in January when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Qatar’s mediating position as “problematic” in leaked audio recordings. Netanyahu then said he stood by his inflammatory remarks.

Qatar has been hosting the Hamas political office since 2012 based on Washington’s request to maintain a channel of communication.

Within five months, Israel has killed at least 30,631 Palestinians while wounding 72,043 others. The genocidal war, coupled with the complete Israeli blockade on Gaza, has created a humanitarian catastrophe, pushing the 2.2 million population into starvation.

More disturbing reports of children, newborns and elderly dying of starvation have been surfacing. On Monday, a child identified as Yazan Al-Kafarneh died in Rafah due to severe malnutrition.

Blinken called on Israel “to maximize every possible means, every possible method of getting assistance to people who need it.” 

This is despite Washington, UNRWA’s biggest donor, cutting off assistance to the agency in late January over uncorroborated claims of some of its staff being involved in the October 7, 2023 attacks.

“It requires more crossings, it requires more aid getting in, and once that aid is in, it requires making sure it can get to the people who need it. So we will continue to press that every single day because the situation as it stands is simply unacceptable,” he said.

On Red Sea escalations

The war in Gaza saw regional flare-ups in Lebanon, Syria and the Red Sea. 

Attacks in the Red Sea have been on the rise since late last year, most notably after the Houthi’s capture of the Galaxy Leadership on November 19, a vessel that is partially owned by an Israeli businessman.

The U.S. then launched Operation Prosperity Guardian on December 18, 2023, a coalition aimed at addressing “security challenges in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.”

“We’ve seen the Houthis attack ships that are bringing food, and grains to the people of Yemen, the very people that the Houthis purport to in some fashion represent.  And of course, it’s had a dramatic impact on shipping around the world,” Blinken said.

On February 18, the Houthis attacked a cargo ship with a Belizean flag and operated by a Lebanese firm, carrying ammonium phosphate sulfate, a combustible fertilizer. The ship sank in the Red Sea following the attack, CENTCOM confirmed on Saturday.

Qatar repeatedly called for the need to end the war in Gaza in order to halt the Red Sea escalations.

Bilateral relations

The annual Strategic Dialogue was launched in 2018 in Washington, bringing together Qatari and U.S. officials to address issues of mutual concern. The meetings often result in agreements boosting bilateral relations between the two countries.

A joint statement on Tuesday said the topics covered this year included “economic and security cooperation to emerging technology and fostering connections among cities and communities.”

Both sides also discussed developing their cooperation in the field of defence  and “upgrades” to the Al-Udeid base in Qatar,  the largest American military post in the Middle East. 

In January, the U.S. agreed to extend its military presence at a base in Qatar for another decade.

Meanwhile, in trade, Qatar’s imports of American-made goods reached $4.6 billion while helping create more jobs in the U.S., according to the State Department. The Gulf state’s investments in the U.S. economy are more than $45 billion.