Qatar’s prime minister said on Tuesday relations with Iran were scarred by an Iranian missile volley at a US airbase in the Gulf Arab state, but that he hoped ties would eventually “come back to normal”.
Iran responded to US participation in Israel’s air war against Iran by firing missiles on Monday at the Al Ubeid air base. Still, no one was hurt after Tehran gave a warning, and a ceasefire was announced hours later by Washington.
Qatar, situated just across the Gulf from Iran, has often acted as a mediator in regional conflicts, including between Iran and the United States and between Israel and Hamas in the continuing Gaza war.
“What happened will definitely have its scar on the relationship [with Iran], but I hope by the time everyone learns the lesson that this kind of neighbourhood relationship should not be violated and should not be undermined,” Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, told a press conference with his Lebanese counterpart in Doha.
“The partnership between Qatar and the US is just growing stronger… and I hope the good relationship with Iran comes back to normal as soon as possible,” he said.
Al Thani added that Qatar had liaised with Iran at Washington’s request to help facilitate the ceasefire.
“We hope the ceasefire will continue as agreed upon, and we urge both the US and Iran to return to the negotiating table with the aim of reaching a comprehensive diplomatic solution, something that Qatar has consistently sought,” he said.
He added that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed regret in a phone call with Qatar’s ruling Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani that Tehran’s target in retaliating for US airstrikes was a military base in Qatar.
Iran-Israel ceasefire
US President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Iran had agreed to a âcomplete and total ceasefireâ, but its status remained unclear as Tel Aviv alleged that Tehran carried out missile attacks in violation of the truce.
However, the US president called the truce effective after berating Israel and Iran for ceasefire violations.
Israel’s prime minister’s office said in a statement it refrained from further strikes on Iran after President Trump’s call. Meanwhile, Iran’s top security body says ‘powerful military response forced Israeli regime to halt its aggression unilaterally’.
Trump’s announcement came after Iran launched a limited missile attack Monday on a US military base in Qatar, retaliating for the American bombing of its nuclear sites.
Russia, France, Germany, and Saudi Arabia welcome truce announcement after 12 days of war between Mideast rivals.
In Israel, at least 24 people have been killed and more than 1,000 wounded in the war. Israeli strikes on Iran have killed at least 974 people and wounded 3,458 others, according to the Washington-based group Human Rights Activists.
