CAIRO
Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani stressed the critical need for an agreement between the US and Iran.
“There is no way that Qatar would support any kind of military step in that region. We will not give up until we see a diplomatic solution between the US and Iran. This needs to reach an agreement,” Qatar’s Al Jazeera channel quoted Al-Thani as saying.
His remarks came shortly after US President Donald Trump hinted on Friday that he hoped for a “peace agreement” with Iran.
In a televised interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson, Al-Thani said that every country in the Middle East is concerned about potential strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
He emphasized that Iran is “our next-door neighbor, and we have to maintain a good relation with all our neighbors…it is in the interest of the region to have a better relation with Iran.”
Al-Thani also highlighted the “huge progress” in bilateral relations between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and Iran in recent years, despite differences over some of Tehran’s foreign policies, which he said did not affect bilateral ties with the Gulf states.
On Friday, Trump said that “interesting days” lie ahead for the US and Iran as he seeks to either negotiate a new nuclear deal with Tehran or pursue “the other option,” a likely allusion to military action.
In contrast, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi said that “as long as the US policy of maximum pressure and threats continues, we will not enter into direct negotiations with the US.”
Qatar’s role in Gaza ceasefire negotiations
On Doha’s role in the Gaza ceasefire negotiations, the premier mentioned that Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani has always emphasized that “if we are able to save a single life, it is worth everything.”
He noted that during the 15 months of the Gaza conflict, Qatar had faced “a lot of attacks.”
“We’ve been under significant attacks for 15 months during this war on Gaza, something unbelievable, no one would handle such an attack,” he said.
“We worked tirelessly for achieving this deal,” the official added, noting: “The moment we went out to announce that a deal has been achieved, we saw celebrations in the streets, both in Gaza and in Israel. That moment made us forget everything.”
Al-Thani said that the Gaza ceasefire agreement was not achieved solely through Qatar or the US but through joint efforts as “one team.”
He mentioned that Steve Witkoff, US middle east envoy, “pushed when it was required, he did a great job. As partners, we achieved the deal at the end of the day.”
A ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement has been in place in Gaza since Jan. 19, halting Israel’s brutal war, which has killed over 48,400 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and left the enclave in ruins.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its military campaign.
