WASHINGTON/DOHA/ISTANBUL– Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani strongly condemned the recent Iranian missile attack on Qatari territory, labeling it as a breach of diplomatic norms and an unacceptable act against the sovereignty of the state.In a press briefing Tuesday, the prime minister revealed that Qatar was surprised by the Iranian assault, and that Qatar’s air defence system successfully intercepted the missile strike, preventing casualties and damage.
He affirmed that Qatar’s military is fully capable of responding to such provocations, but emphasized the country’s commitment to regional peace and de-escalation.“We are in favor of dialogue, not confrontation,” he said, adding that Qatar’s American allies had advised opening communication channels with Iran to defuse tensions. He also thanked fellow Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries for their support during the crisis.
Commenting further, he stressed that irresponsible actions by any party only breed instability and reiterated that Qatar seeks peace and normalization of ties across the region, including between Lebanon and its neighbours.
The Qatari leader also confirmed that Iran and Israel have agreed to a ceasefire, a development he welcomed as a hopeful step towards ending the latest round of hostilities.US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday a ceasefire between Israel and Iran was now in place and asked both countries not to violate it, only hours after Iran launched waves of missiles, which Israel’s ambulance service said killed four people.
When Trump announced on Monday what he called a complete ceasefire to end a 12-day war, he appeared to suggest that Israel and Iran would have time to complete missions that were underway, at which point the ceasefire would begin in a staged process.Witnesses said they heard explosions near Tel Aviv and Beersheba in southern Israel before Trump’s statement.
Israel’s military said six waves of missiles were launched by Iran and Israel’s national ambulance service said four people were killed in Beersheba, the first reported deaths in Israel since Trump announced the ceasefire.Iran’s semi-official SNN news agency reported on Tuesday that Tehran fired its last round of missiles before the ceasefire came into effect.A senior White House official said Trump had brokered a ceasefire deal in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel had agreed so long as Iran did not launch further attacks.
“On the assumption that everything works as it should, which it will, I would like to congratulate both Countries, Israel and Iran, on having the Stamina, Courage, and Intelligence to end, what should be called, ‘THE 12 DAY WAR’,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social site.An Iranian official earlier confirmed that Tehran had agreed to a ceasefire, but the country’s foreign minister said there would be no cessation of hostilities unless Israel stopped its attacks.
Qatari PM condemns Iranian strike, welcomes Iran-Israel ceasefire
