Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani has warned against the “irresponsible targeting of vital infrastructure, particularly that related to water and food, and energy facilities” amid the ongoing US-Israeli war against Iran.
The Qatari Prime Minister’s comments were made during a phone conversation with Norwegian Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Store.
His comments, the Qatari foreign ministry said, were made in the context of “the necessity of stopping Iran’s unjustified aggressions against Qatar and the countries of the region.”
United States President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Iran’s energy and water facilities, and Tehran has warned that it will engage in tit-for-tat actions across the Gulf. On Sunday, Iran hit two Kuwaiti water desalination plants.
At least 34 people have been killed, including six children, as the United States and Israel carried out massive attacks across Iran, targeting a top university as well as residential areas, after US President Donald Trump set a Tuesday deadline for Tehran to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face strikes on its power plants and bridges.
An Iranian news agency reported today that an air attack killed 23 people, including four girls and two boys aged below 10 years, in Tehran province’s Baharestan County.
US-Israeli strikes also hit Sharif University in Tehran, one of Iran’s leading scientific universities, often compared with the US’s Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Mohammad Reza Aref, Iran’s first Vice President, in a post on X, accused the US of deploying a “bunker-buster” bomb to target the university.
“The bunker-buster bomb attack on Sharif University is a symbol of Trump’s madness and ignorance. He fails to understand that Iran’s knowledge is not embedded in concrete to be destroyed by bombs; the true fortress is the will of our Professors and elites.”
Mohammad Reza Aref
Iran Vows Not To Bow To Pressure
Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Esmail Baghaei said that Tehran has finalised its demands amid recent proposals to end the war but will reveal them only when appropriate.
Baghaei stressed that Iran will not bow to pressure. “A few days ago, they put forward proposals through intermediaries, and the 15-point US plan was reflected through Pakistan and some other friendly countries,” he said
He added that “such proposals are both extremely ambitious, unusual, and illogical.” Baghaei underlined that Iran has its own framework. “Based on our own interests, based on our own considerations, we codified the set of demands that we had and have,” Baghaei added.
The foreign ministry Spokesman rejected the idea that engaging with mediators signals weakness.
“The fact that the Islamic Republic of Iran presents its views very quickly and bravely in response to a plan should not be considered a sign of surrendering to the enemy. From the moment this discussion was raised, we have formulated our responses. Whenever necessary, we will clearly inform you.”
Esmail Baghaei
A source has told a news agency that Pakistan has proposed a two-stage plan to end the US-Israel war on Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with both sides now mulling the framework.
According to the news agency, Esmail Baghaei, Spokesman for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, acknowledged diplomatic efforts by Pakistan, which has shared a plan with Iran and the United States to end hostilities.
Baghaei added that Iran is focused on its security amid the latest attacks from the US and Israel.
Moreover, Baghaei condemned US threats to target Iran’s infrastructure as “war crimes,” warning that any state assisting Washington will share legal responsibility. “Regarding the threats against us, without a doubt, the very act of making such threats is a war crime,” he said, pointing to US talk of striking “energy and industrial infrastructure” while giving Israel “the green light to attack civilian targets.”
He said that they were examples of war crimes according “to both international humanitarian law and the Statute of the International Criminal Court.” The Spokesman added that Iran’s diplomacy will continue alongside its military defence.
“While our defenders are bravely sacrificing their lives, the diplomatic apparatus is also doing its job. Our basis and criterion are national interests, national security, and the legitimate demands of the Iranians.”
Esmail Baghaei
He asserted that all countries should know that “any cooperation and collaboration with the US in committing its crimes must be held accountable and held accountable as a war crime and a crime against humanity.”
READ ALSO: Mahama Heads to France for Global Health Summit, Set to Hold Talks with Macron
