I think small nations are always going to be client nations. Their independence is in choosing which nation to be a client of--and playing larger nations against one another for local benefit.
Qatar seems to be doing a reasonably good job at undermining Iran in the region--Syria, Palestine, Bahrain, are good instances of this. It's not like Iran is a great friend, and in exchange they get to host major events like the WC 2022 and the climate change summit (allowing them to have more influence on big issues than otherwise possible for a small country).
I think small nations are always going to be client nations. Their independence is in choosing which nation to be a client of--and playing larger nations against one another for local benefit.
Qatar seems to be doing a reasonably good job at undermining Iran in the region--Syria, Palestine, Bahrain, are good instances of this. It's not like Iran is a great friend, and in exchange they get to host major events like the WC 2022 and the climate change summit (allowing them to have more influence on big issues than otherwise possible for a small country).