Just months after soliciting and receiving a $400 million luxury airliner for himself from Qatar, President Donald Trump has now quietly granted the oil-rich autocracy a NATO-like defence guarantee, promising a US response if it is attacked.

“The United States shall regard any armed attack on the territory, sovereignty, or critical infrastructure of the State of Qatar as a threat to the peace and security of the United States,” the Trump-signed order decrees.

“In the event of such an attack, the United States shall take all lawful and appropriate measures — including diplomatic, economic, and, if necessary, military — to defend the interests of the United States and of the State of Qatar and to restore peace and stability.”

The order was signed the same day Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during which Netanyahu called the Qatari prime minister to apologise for the September 9 attack on Doha to kill Hamas officials.

A Qatari national was also killed in the strike. The security guarantee — possibly unique in its promised protection to a country that has been treated as a partner but not a treaty ally — was not mentioned that day and was not publicised at all by the White House; instead, it came to light on Wednesday in press reports.

“I’m not aware of anything coming close to this in other contexts,” said Ned Price, a former........

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