Tehran — US President Donald Trump on Tuesday tried to wash Washington’s hands of Israel’s strike on Qatar, insisting the decision to bomb was made solely by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump told reporters that “it was not my decision,” a claim that landed amid regional fury over what many see as another extension of Israel’s long campaign of Genocide in Gaza.
The Doha bombing killed civilians and drew condemnation from Arab governments, who described it as a blatant violation of international law. For Palestinians and much of the Arab world, the attack signaled that the brutality unleashed on Gaza is being exported to neighboring states with full Western complicity.
Critics say Trump’s denial is hollow. They argue that US weapons, aid, and veto power remain the oxygen of Israel’s war machine, fueling what rights groups call collective punishment of civilians. Israel’s repeated escalations, from Gaza City to foreign capitals, are documented in reports such as Israel’s assault on Gaza city sparks famine deaths.
Netanyahu defended the Qatar strike as an operation against “terror operatives,” but provided no evidence. Arab capitals dismissed the claim as reckless militarism. Meanwhile, Russia and Iran highlighted what they called Western double standards, accusing Washington of ignoring crimes when committed by allies. Tehran warned the attack was another attempt at narrative diversion from the Genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.
Iran and Malaysia have already called for deeper Islamic unity against Israeli crimes, urging a coordinated regional response. At the same time, the OIC is under pressure to act, as seen in Iran’s demand that the OIC confront Israel’s genocide.
Humanitarian groups stressed that the Doha bombing intensifies pressure on the United Nations, which they accuse of failing to restrain Israel’s impunity. The devastation in Gaza and now Qatar has widened calls for accountability. Washington, however, has chosen to sanction those who pursue justice, as shown when the US sanctioned Palestinian rights groups that sought to investigate Israeli war crimes.
For Gulf allies, the strike was a direct affront: Qatar is not only a mediator in hostage talks but also hosts a major US base. Observers warn that allowing Israel to bomb Doha without consequence exposes the fragility of Washington’s credibility in the region. Analysts argue it strengthens moves by BRICS and other blocs to build alternatives to Western hegemony.
According to a Reuters report, Trump reiterated that the United States had no role in authorizing the strike. But his disclaimer did little to shift the view that Washington remains complicit in every Israeli act of aggression, by supplying the weapons and shielding Israel from accountability on the world stage.
