Fact Check: Did Pete Hegseth threaten to kill Emir of Qatar?
WASHINGTON, DC: Amid the ongoing geopolitical tensions with Iran, despite the negotiations, a rumor began circulating on social media platforms claiming that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth threatened to kill Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, sparking concerns and speculations.
Let us analyse and fact-check the claim.
Claim: Pete Hegseth threatened to kill the Emir of Qatar
According to the viral claim, Pete Hegseth called the Emir of Qatar and threatened to kill him after President Donald Trump threatened to ‘blow up’ Oman.
The post further states, “What we are witnessing is not just their insanity; it's a sign of the decline of an empire. Their last attempt to regain power.”
The claim spread on multiple social media platforms such as X, Facebook, and Threads, garnering almost a million views as of this writing.
Those commenting under the post are criticising Hegseth, citing poor diplomacy, while others appeared to favour him, suggesting that many believe it to be true.
Fact Check: No credible evidence to confirm the claim
The claim, however, is not true, as there is no credible evidence to support it. A search on Google for the claim yielded no relevant results from prominent news media outlets, which, if true, would have sparked massive outrage and backlash worldwide.
The post attributes the claim to the Saudi Ambassador in Washington; however, there are no credible reports that support the rumor.
A fact check by Grok stated, “Pete Hegseth has not made any verified public or private threat to kill Qatar's emir (Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani). The allegation, circulated via Al-Hadath and Iranian-aligned channels citing a Saudi ambassador, remains unconfirmed by major Western or independent outlets and appears to be an unsubstantiated rumor amid current Gulf tensions.”
Donald Trump threatens to blow up Oman
The claim surfaced as Trump said on Wednesday that the Strait of Hormuz would remain “open to everybody” and insisted that neither Iran nor Oman would control the strategically vital waterway.
Trump also issued a direct warning to Oman, which has historically acted as a diplomatic intermediary between Washington and Tehran.
“Oman will behave just like everybody else, or we’ll have to blow ‘em up,” Trump said during the Cabinet meeting, escalating tensions surrounding the Gulf negotiations.
