Qatar has cautioned against the possibility of a “frozen conflict” in the Gulf, as talks between the US and Iran for a peace deal appeared at an impasse.
Speaking at a press conference, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Majed al-Ansari stressed the country does not want to see a return to hostilities in the region anytime soon, “we do not want to see a frozen conflict that ends up being thawed every time there is a political reason.”
Al-Ansari said that Doha would be in favour of a “comprehensive deal” to end the conflict, adding that Qatar’s main concern is regional security as Iran’s attacks have affected regional stability.
Al-Ansari explained that diplomacy is the “safest and most reasonable way.” He said that Gulf states have proven their effectiveness in mediation efforts in resolving conflicts but Gulf states were under “daily attacks and their sovereignty attacked.”
Also, Al-Ansari told the weekly press briefing that there is coordination with Pakistan over its mediation efforts to end the conflict.
“We’re giving Pakistan ample room for its mediation efforts…We do not need to expand the circle of negotiations. We support Pakistani mediation.”
Majed al-Ansari
The Qatari Foreign Ministry Spokesperson stated that the issue right now is not with the mediator, adding that Pakistan is doing a great job in its mediation. “We are, as I said, supportive of this and has always been in coordination with all its partners regionally and beyond over that issue,” he said.
“We remain in full solidarity with Pakistan in their goal as mediator. Our position has been clear from day 1. Any conflict in the region should be solved on the negotiation table. And we believed in the negotiation process and we were supportive of the negotiation process and we will remain supportive of a diplomatic resolution.”
Majed Al-Ansari
Al-Ansari said that they are engaging with all their interlocutors over reopening the Strait. “We believe it should have never been closed and it should be opened immediately regardless of other considerations going on in the region,” he said.
He noted that the Strait of Hormuz should not be used as a pressure card, stressing that the act of blocking navigation cannot be justified and we believe it should not happen in the first place. “Closing the Strait of Hormuz has led to economic repercussions on a global level, particularly regarding energy security,” the spokesman remarked.
Qatar Asserts Mediation Efforts With Hamas
Moreover, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari dismissed Israeli reports alleging the Gulf state was reevaluating its engagement in mediation efforts involving Hamas in light of Iran’s attacks on the country.
During the weekly press briefing, Al-Ansari said that Qatar does not “envision this role stopping any time soon”, pointing to the same source circulating similar claims.
“Let me stress that all of these claims are baseless[…] And therefore, this long history of spreading false information about Qatar and regional affairs should not be complemented through picking up everything that the source puts out there.”
Majed Al-Ansari
Al-Ansari confirmed that Qatar is continuing its role in the mediation by working with partners in Egypt and Türkiye.
Speaking about the US-Israel war with Iran, al-Ansari said that there has not been a push from the Gulf Cooperation Council “for more escalation with Iran.”
Al-Ansari added that the bloc “made it very clear” that it “will not be used as political punching bags” in the US-Israel war with Iran.
“I don’t think that there was a general GCC push for more escalation with Iran[…] However, we have made it very clear that we will not be used as political punching bags in this war, that any attack on our sovereignty cannot be justified by any means.”
Majed al-Ansari
Al-Ansari added that Qatar has taken all the necessary precautions to make sure that it’s safe from the aggression.
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