Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida on Sunday declared that Qatar is “not our friend” as the Gulf state continues to play a central role in U.S.-Iran diplomatic talks, breaking openly with the framing that has positioned Qatar as a reliable neutral partner in the negotiations.
Scott made the remark during an appearance on “Fox News Sunday” with host Shannon Bream, pointing to Doha’s financial ties to Iran and its proximity to terrorist proxy groups including Hamas.
“They’re not our friend,” Scott told Bream, referring to the Qatari government.
The Florida senator had sharpened his critique two days earlier in a lengthy social media post, identifying Qatar as what he described as “the single largest foreign donor to American universities.” Scott charged that Qatari funding is designed to “control research agendas and policy to promote non-democratic government and criticize Jews and Christians in the Middle East.” He added that Qatari money has also been directed at secondary education institutions with “little to NO transparency.”
Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, was among the regional leaders who attended the first round of U.S.-Iran peace talks in Burgenstock, Switzerland, earlier this month. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who has served as a mediator between Washington and Tehran for months, said Wednesday that he had spoken with the Qatari PM and “thanked” him for his “steadfast support” of the peace effort. Sharif described the initial Switzerland talks as showing “positive progress.”
The diplomatic praise sits uneasily alongside the military picture. Iran’s forces have fired missiles at multiple Qatari sites since the United States and Israel launched their campaign against Iran in February, a fact Scott’s critics of the arrangement say illustrates the limits of Doha’s usefulness as a neutral broker.
The Trump administration signed a memorandum of understanding with Iran earlier this month setting up 60 days of final-stage nuclear negotiations, with the Strait of Hormuz to be reopened during that window. Vice President J.D. Vance led the first round of talks in Switzerland. The administration said Iran agreed to allow United Nations inspectors at sensitive nuclear sites. Iranian officials disputed portions of that account.
Scott’s remarks came one day after U.S. forces struck Iranian military targets for a second consecutive night in response to Iranian drone attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Kuwait and Bahrain, both home to major U.S. military installations, intercepted Iranian drones and ballistic missiles early Sunday.
