US presence in Gulf 'not enough' for security, Qatari official says

US presence in Gulf 'not enough' for security, Qatari official says Submitted by MEE staff on Mon, 09/07/2026 - 17:12 Foreign ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari seemed to encourage a diversification away from sole reliance on Washington Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson, Majed al-Ansari, attends a session at the Hili Forum 2026 in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on 7 September 2026 (Fadel Senna/AFP) Off Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari on Monday appeared to indicate that the presence of US forces in the Gulf is no longer the protective shield it was once believed to be. Qatar hosts the largest US military base in the Arab world, which is also the regional headquarters for US Central Command. It has borne the brunt of repeated Iranian retaliatory attacks for the US- Israeli war on the Islamic Republic, which began on 28 February.