Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid Al-Ansari confirmed during a press conference on Tuesday that there is no direct Qatari mediation between the United States and Iran, but added that Qatar supports “all diplomatic efforts” to end the war, whether through “official or unofficial channels or contacts.”
While Al-Ansari explained that Washington made the decision to wage war based on its assessment, he said that work with them is underway “closely to de-escalate and stop the attacks on our country,” denying any discussion of an offer from Qatar to close the Al-Udeid US air base.
He also explained that the current focus is “entirely on defending our country and dealing with the losses resulting from the various attacks that the State of Qatar has been subjected to.”
In assessing the outcomes of the current war, Al-Ansari said that the most important one is “the shattering of the concept of the regional security system in the Gulf region,” noting that this must be evaluated after the war, saying, “The Gulf states, which work closely and in parallel to ensure their security, need to reassess after this war what the common regional security system means.”
In contrast, Al-Ansari believed that Gulf defense partnerships had proven successful.
The Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman noted that no attacks warranting warnings had been recorded in the past two days, but said, “This does not mean that we have not been targeted,” stressing that Qatar reserves the right to respond to any potential attack on vital infrastructure .
On Tuesday, Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs, Saud bin Abdulrahman, discussed regional developments and defense cooperation with French Minister of the Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs, Catherine Vautrin.
The Qatari Ministry of Defense stated in a statement that “the meeting reviewed the latest security developments in the region and discussed aspects of defense cooperation and joint coordination in light of the current circumstances.”
