During his Middle East tour, President Donald Trump remarked that Tehran should “say a big thank you” to Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who personally urged Trump not to attack Iran.
Why is Qatar so supportive of the Islamic Republic, while most of its Arab neighbors are wary of, if not outright hostile toward, Tehran—especially given Iran’s continued meddling across the Arab world? Beyond ideology and regional geopolitics, Qatar has a powerful economic incentive: maintaining smooth ties with the clerical regime that controls its vast and troubled northern neighbor.
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