At the G7 summit in France, President Trump told reporters standing beside Qatar’s Emir that one could “walk right across the border” from Iran to Qatar. In fact, the two countries are separated by the Persian Gulf by roughly 119 miles and have no land border. Trump repeated a similar inaccurate claim in October aboard Air Force One, and Iranian state media later posted a map and video of his remarks on X. It is unclear whether aides tried to correct him.
Trump Says You Can 'Walk' From Iran To Qatar At G7 — They Are Actually 119 Miles Apart
President Donald Trump made a geographic error Tuesday while speaking to reporters beside Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, during the G7 summit in France.
Addressing the proximity of some Gulf countries to Iran, Trump said that Qatar was so close to Iran that “you could walk right across the border,” implying the two countries share a land border.
“They are the closest to Iran physically, so, with other countries, I noticed that they had to travel about 45 minutes to get there. With you, you could walk right across the border, so you are in a more dangerous position,” the president said.
In reality, Qatar and Iran are separated by the Persian Gulf, a stretch of water roughly 119 miles (about 192 kilometers) across at their nearest points. The two countries do not share a land border.
This was not an isolated incident: in October, aboard Air Force One, Trump made a similar claim, saying, “They’re literally, you walk over from Iran to Qatar. You can walk it in one second. You go ‘boom boom,’ and now you’re in Qatar,” comments that drew widespread ridicule online.
It is unclear whether aides attempted to correct the president in either instance. Iranian state media amplified the latest remark on X by posting a map and video of Trump’s comments.
Why it matters: Accurate geographic understanding matters in diplomatic settings, especially when statements are made publicly and in front of foreign leaders. Misstatements like this can distract from substantive discussion and invite international attention.
Help us improve.
