Picture: Qatar News Agency
Doha, Qatar: Advisor to the Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) Dr. Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari has said Qatar has warned for many years that escalation left unchecked in the region would lead to catastrophic results.
“We are now at that moment where we are witnessing those consequences across the region. If you look at a map right now, it is difficult to find a place where escalation is not happening. This is exactly what we warned about from the beginning. We said that if escalation that began in 2023 was left unchecked, it would lead to a regional war. What we are seeing now is a regional war that can still be contained, but the current trajectory is extremely dangerous,” Al Ansari said in a media briefing yesterday.
He noted that if the conflict continues moving from negotiation rooms to battlefields, it will lead to even more catastrophic consequences for the people of the region.
He said that Qatar’s position has been very clear—both publicly and privately—in rejecting involvement in this conflict or allowing the territory of Qatar to be used as a platform to launch attacks against any other country.
“We still believe that diplomacy is the best option to deal with all disputes in the region. However, any attack on Qatar represents an attack on our sovereignty, and we will respond accordingly.”
To a question about the end of conflict in the region, he said that this is ultimately a question for the parties directly involved in the conflict who made such statements yesterday. “For us in Qatar, we have always believed that conflicts ultimately end at the negotiating table. There is no absolute victory and no absolute defeat in war. In the end, all parties must reach a solution through dialogue.”
“Qatar has always supported diplomatic efforts and mediation initiatives. However, at the present time, the State of Qatar is facing attacks within the context of this Iranian-Israeli war. Under these circumstances, it is difficult to talk about mediation or diplomatic facilitation while attacks are ongoing.”
Responding to another question about direct communication channels with Iran, Al Ansari said that there was a phone call between the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Iranian Foreign Minister.
“This call was the only official contact between the two sides since the beginning of this war. I would not say that communication channels are completely cut off, but our main focus at the moment is on defending the State of Qatar and addressing the related developments.”
He added, “As for the statement by the Iranian President, everyone was initially optimistic about it. The statement included an apology and addressed the attacks against Arab countries that have had no role in this conflict from the very first day. However, unfortunately, only ten minutes after that statement, we witnessed attacks against the United Arab Emirates targeting civilian and maritime facilities, followed by an attack on the State of Qatar.”
At that time, he said, the Gulf countries were working on issuing a joint statement in response to the Iranian President’s remarks. “However, given the subsequent developments, there was no need to issue such a statement.”
To another question, Al Ansari said that Qatar highly appreciates the European partnership. “We have seen the Typhoon aircraft and the joint squadron with the United Kingdom and their effectiveness in defending our region. We have also seen support from other European countries, including France and Italy.”
He added, “We greatly appreciate the partnership between Europe and the GCC, which has proven its value during this crisis. We also appreciate the constant coordination between EU leaders and the leaders of the GCC and affected Arab countries. This is what partnership means—knowing your friends in difficult times and working together.”
He said that Europe has proven its worth many times during this conflict. “At the same time, we continue coordinating with the international community to ensure we are aligned on key issues and on efforts to deter these attacks.”
To another question about Qatar’s strategic partnerships with different countries, he said, “The strategic partnership—not only with the United States but with all our defense partners—is not in question. Our decision to align strategically in this way is part of a wider regional security framework.”
He added, “The current conditions of the past two years are pushing us to strengthen our international partnerships, particularly in defense and security. Right now, our military systems are defending the country alongside our American friends and allies from Europe and elsewhere. These partnerships serve as the main deterrent against attacks on our countries.”
He said that at present, the priority is to confront and deter the aggression. “This is being carried out with great professionalism by the Qatari Armed Forces. As you have seen, despite the attacks, we have not witnessed major damage to civilian areas. There have been some damages, but by the grace of God, the security situation remains stable and capable of confronting these attacks.”
