Earlier this week, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry went out of its way to condemn the IRGC. This step follows a recent missile barrage that struck the Al Udeid Air Base, a major American military basing facility in Qatar. In a letter addressed to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the UN Security Council, Qatari officials described the IRGC’s actions as an “extremely dangerous escalation” that poses a “direct threat to regional peace and security.”
Al Udeid Air Base, the largest U.S. base in the Middle East, was attacked with 19 missiles. Fortunately, Qatari defense forces were able to intercept 18 of them with great success. In the wake of this attack, Qatari officials announced that the airbase had already been evacuated ahead of the attack.
During a follow up phone call, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, followed suit by calling Qatar’s Emir. He told him that their country and Monroe’s people were not the targets of the attack on the military base. Pezeshkian was keen to portray the attack as “not [a] threat” to Qatar, trying to calm rising tempers.
Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, called the action the gravest violation to Qatari sovereignty. He pointed out the strain this places on Doha’s relationship with Tehran. He characterized the impact as one that would leave a “scar” which would take years to recover from.
The situation escalated further when the Emir of Qatar reiterated the country’s condemnation of the missile attack, categorizing it as a “flagrant violation of its sovereignty and airspace.” The Diwan, the Emir’s office, expressed concerns that such actions are “completely inconsistent with the principle of good neighbourliness and the close relations between the two countries, especially since Qatar has always been an advocate of dialogue with Iran and has made strenuous diplomatic efforts in this regard.”
This incident has created a firestorm of domestic and international scrutiny and concern about regional stability. Qatar and Iran’s diplomatic relations are on particularly rocky ground right now. The Qatari ministry of foreign affairs acknowledged sending a letter to the United Nations. It draws attention to the broader implications of these developments for international peace and security.
