Qatar’s role in the evacuation of thousands of westerners and Afghans during the chaotic US withdrawal from Kabul has earned the country considerable praise and greatly contributed to its international reputation.

However, playing the role of key mediator between the new Taliban regime and the international community is not without risks, and by linking itself to the new regime in Afghanistan, Qatar may lay itself open to being accused by its Gulf opponents of supporting radical Islamists.

Rising Qatari influence in Kabul

The situation in Afghanistan has once again illustrated Qatar’s growing role in international diplomacy, particularly after Doha played an “outsized role” during the mass evacuation from Kabul, claiming to have evacuated 58,000 people...