Doha’s double game during the ongoing United States-Israel campaign against Iran is clearly reflected in its sophisticated, state-funded media apparatus.
Incitement, encouragement of terrorism, and support for Islamist regimes are recurring features of these outlets, and even as Qatar itself has come under Iranian attack, its state-funded media’s coverage of Tehran has remained favorable.
In late March, a research institute specializing in the analysis of Arab media networks, Marsad Al I’lam Al Arabi, conducted a survey examining viewership across 21 digital media outlets, focusing primarily on Gulf-based networks.
The findings showed that Qatari outlets Al Jazeera and Al Araby account for roughly 80% of total viewership in the Arab world. Public figures in the Gulf circulated the survey to highlight the importance and influence of these networks.
From the outset, both outlets have functioned as core pillars of Qatar’s regional messaging—Al Jazeera since the late 1990s, and Al Araby, established roughly two decades later, in 2015.
Their influence became especially pronounced after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas onslaught on Israel, when Al Jazeera became the dominant source of information for much of the Arab world on events in Gaza. This resulted in a clear shift in regional attitudes. Whereas Al Jazeera had previously fueled Arab hostility toward Qatar, the post-Oct. 7 reliance on its coverage instead helped restore Doha’s legitimacy.
Coverage by Qatari outlets incorporated narratives and messaging originating from Hamas. From the outset of the attack, Al Jazeera aired multiple reports based on GoPro footage under the headline “Scenes from the Al-Qassam Brigades’ attack on a military post,” including material from Kibbutz Re’im, Kibbutz Be’eri, the Erez Crossing and the Nahal Oz outpost.
At the same time, the network intermittently aired content that did not fully align with the Hamas narrative—partly to maintain an appearance of objectivity, and partly reflecting the inherent complexity of Qatar-Hamas relations, a dynamic that became more pronounced during the conflict with Iran.
During the current confrontation with Iran, both outlets have adopted a clearly pro-Iranian editorial line. The channels gave extensive exposure to senior Iranian figures, including representatives of the regime and figures linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Coverage featured frequent Iranian briefings, commentary that reinforced Tehran’s position, and sustained emphasis on Iranian casualties. In parallel, they also broadcast extensive interviews with the Houthi leadership in Yemen and statements from Hamas spokesmen, while dissenting perspectives were either marginalized or presented in a distorted manner. Alongside this, reports surfaced during the Gaza war alleging that Al Jazeera correspondents were involved in Hamas-linked activity, including aiding in the holding of hostages.
The network was also accused of using its journalistic infrastructure to relay operational information, echoing claims made during the 2006 Second Lebanon War that its reporting exposed strike locations. Similar allegations have been raised regarding Al Araby correspondents during the current war.
This pattern was evident even before the war, with Al Jazeera projecting an image of apparent normalcy inside Iran—for example, by highlighting everyday civilian life—while minimizing coverage of domestic tensions.
During the war, particularly after Iran struck Qatar, this editorial line drew criticism from activists and public figures within Qatar, who saw it as overly sympathetic to Iran. In response, an alternative argument emerged in Qatar—that Al Jazeera and Al Araby are not intended for a domestic audience, but for the broader Arab public.
According to this logic, Qatar’s local media is meant to reflect the official line, while its international networks operate across a wider regional arena and distinguish themselves by presenting a range of views, including interviews with Israeli figures, thereby reinforcing an image of openness and critical inquiry. During the conflict with Iran, Qatari media coverage has also served to signal alignment with Tehran. Its editorial line targeted U.S. President Donald Trump, portraying him as driving escalation, while using highly charged imagery, and aligning closely with both Iranian messaging and that of the Muslim Brotherhood, with which these networks maintain longstanding ties.
The same tone carried over into Qatari-affiliated outlets published in London, such as Al Araby, where Trump was depicted as addicted to oil and a war machine under Israeli control, with a cartoon showing an image of him with swastikas, giving a Nazi salute.
At the same time, these outlets require minimal gestures to sustain claims of balance. Occasional, measured criticism of Iran—or a single op-ed supportive of Israel or the U.S.—serves to signal objectivity and moderation to Western audiences. Such pieces are often authored by researchers affiliated with Doha-based think tanks, part of a broader ecosystem Qatar has built across media, academia and policy.
Together, these elements form a coherent operating model in which different platforms reinforce one another in advancing long-term narratives across both regional and international arenas.
Criticism of Al Jazeera has, on occasion, translated into concrete action. Israel blocked the network’s broadcasts during the Gaza war, and authorities in Kurdistan have taken similar steps against it during the current conflict with Iran.
Increased scrutiny has also constrained its reporters in other settings. In London, following the terrorist attack on the Machzikei Hadas Synagogue, which included the torching of ambulances, an Al Jazeera correspondent was expelled from the scene by members of the local Jewish community. The reporter documented the incident on social media, while a Doha-based outlet framed it as harassment and an infringement on press freedom.
More telling is that Al Araby has continued to operate with relatively few restrictions, underscoring the extent to which its influence is underestimated.
In one instance, the network broadcast from the site of a missile impact in Tel Aviv, where its reporter—presenting the outlet as London-based—was asked on air by an Israeli soldier to produce credentials and responded in Hebrew. While the exchange itself was handled without confrontation, the channel later repackaged it on social media as evidence of Israel undermining press freedom by questioning journalists.
Any serious assessment of the risks posed by Al Jazeera must also account for Al Araby, as part of a broader system of Qatari influence.
Originally published by the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security.
