Qatar revealed yesterday that it helped broker the ceasefire deal between Israel and Iran announced by US President Donald Trump overnight.
Its Prime Minister Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said Qatar was surprised to have been attacked by Iranian missiles given its role in attempting to defuse the conflict.
He said the Amir of Qatar, Shaikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, had spoken to Trump to chart a path towards a ceasefire, according to Abu Dhabi newspaper The National.
“Our friends in the United States proposed that the state of Qatar will initiate communication with the Iranians in order to examine their preparedness,” he said.
“We initiated communication with the Iranians and then it was followed by the announcement made by the US President.”
Israel accused Iran of breaching the ceasefire yesterday morning, hours after it was declared by Trump.
Qatar, meanwhile, said it had shot down all but one of the missiles fired on Monday at Al Udeid Airbase, which is used by US forces in the Middle East.
Iran said the strike was in retaliation for the American bombing of its nuclear sites and had ‘nothing to do with our friendly neighbour Qatar’.
Gulf countries rallied behind Qatar in support.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian spoke to Shaikh Tamim yesterday, the Qatari Prime Minister said.
He added that Qatar was making ‘significant efforts’ to uphold the ceasefire through contact with Iran and the US.
“There must be a clear commitment that any attack on Qatar or any Gulf state is unacceptable and condemned by all, and will require a unified stance,” he told a Press conference held alongside Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.
“We are looking forward to constructing a clear and solid understanding that guarantees that such incidents will not be repeated.”
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the attack on Al Udeid was ‘carried out within the framework of Iran’s legitimate right to self defence’, his ministry said.
It said it “should in no way be interpreted as an action against the friendly and brotherly government of Qatar”.
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