Doha: Qatar’s prime minister announced on Tuesday that the nation intends to pursue all diplomatic and legal avenues in response to Iran’s missile attack on a US base located within its territory. This statement was made by Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani during a press conference in Doha, conducted alongside his Lebanese counterpart, Nawaf Salam.
According to Anadolu Agency, Iran launched several missiles targeting the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar on Monday. This aggressive move followed the US targeting of three Iranian nuclear sites on Sunday, significantly escalating regional tensions. Sheikh Mohammed revealed that foreign ministers from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states are scheduled to convene for an extraordinary meeting in Doha to address the Iranian assault on Qatari soil.
Sheikh Mohammed further criticized Israel’s actions, attributing regional instability to them, and affirmed Qatar’s ability to defend its sovereignty. He also expressed hopes that Israel would not exploit the ceasefire with Iran to continue military actions in Gaza, suggesting that negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire could potentially resume within two days.
Qatar took immediate diplomatic actions by summoning Iranian Ambassador Ali Abadi to express its strong condemnation of the breach of its sovereignty and airspace. Additionally, Qatar communicated to the UN Security Council its right to respond proportionately to the aggression, in accordance with the UN Charter and international law.
In response, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei stated that the missile attack was an act of self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter, following the US bombing of nuclear sites in Iran. He emphasized that the action was not directed at Qatar, highlighting the friendly relations between the two nations and reiterating Iran’s commitment to maintaining good neighborly relations with Qatar and other neighboring countries.
US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran on Monday, following nearly two weeks of intense aerial combat between the two adversaries.