President Trump has directed the U.S. military to treat any attack against Middle East ally Qatar as a “threat to the peace and security of the United States.”

In an executive order, Mr. Trump declared that if Qatar is attacked, the U.S. “shall take all lawful and appropriate measures — including diplomatic, economic and, if necessary, military — to defend the interests of the United States and the State of Qatar and to restore peace and stability.”

The order was announced Wednesday but signed Monday, when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was visiting the White House. Mr. Netanyahu called the Qatari prime minister during his White House visit to apologize for an Israeli strike on its capital, Doha, that killed six people.

Under the order, Qatar will receive U.S. military backup in the event of any attack on its territory. It also notes that Qatar hosts the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East — Al-Udeid Air Base, where thousands of troops are stationed, and has been a key ally in the Middle East and mediated efforts to end Israel’s war in Gaza.

Former President Biden had designated Qatar as a major non-NATO ally.

The Israeli military carried out the strike last month against the senior leadership of Hamas, which had gathered in Doha. The strike accidentally killed a member of Qatar’s internal security force.

Mr. Trump railed against the strike and expressed his frustration to Mr. Netanyahu, who then apologized to the Qatari leader during his White House visit.

“As a first step, Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed his deep regret that Israel’s missile strike against Hamas targets in Qatar unintentionally killed a Qatari serviceman,” said a White House readout of a trilateral phone call with Mr. Trump, Mr. Netanyahu and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani.

Mr. Netanyahu “further expressed regret that, in targeting Hamas leadership during hostage negotiations, Israel violated Qatari sovereignty and affirmed that Israel will not conduct such an attack again in the future,” the White House said.

Qatari officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Qatar, a peninsular nation that sticks out into the Persian Gulf, became fantastically wealthy through its natural gas reserves. It has been a key U.S. military partner, allowing America’s Central Command to have its forward operating base at its vast Al Udeid Air Base.

In the aftermath of the Israeli attack, Saudi Arabia entered a mutual defense agreement with Pakistan, bringing the kingdom under Islamabad’s nuclear umbrella. It’s unclear whether other Gulf Arab countries, both worried about Israel and Iran as it faces reimposed United Nations sanctions over its nuclear program, may seek similar arrangements as well with the region’s longtime security guarantor.

This article includes wire service reports.

• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.