Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has come down heavily on Iran, saying the Gulf never expected such actions from a neighbour after missile and drone strikes targeted countries across the Gulf region. Calling the attacks a “betrayal”, the Qatari PM warned that the escalation could destabilise the Middle East and trigger serious global economic repercussions.
Qatari PM’s first media reaction came while speaking to Sky News. “It is a big sense of betrayal," he said.
“Just an hour after the start of the war, Qatar and other Gulf countries were attacked. We made clear that we were not going to take part in any wars against our neighbours,” he added.
He also highlighted Qatar’s robust defence and security forces which have been successful in neutralising major Iranian attacks.
“All the attacks on the Gulf countries, we never expected this from our neighbour," he said.
“We have always tried to preserve a good relationship with Iran, but the justifications and pretexts they are using are completely rejected,” he further said.
Al Thani also mentioned that 25 per cent of the strikes were carried out in civilian areas.
“Twenty-five per cent of the attacks are targeting civilian facilities. What has this got to do with the war? What do they want to achieve?" he said.
“We continue to seek de-escalation," he said, adding that “they are our neighbours, it’s our destiny."
Missile Attacks Continue In Qatar
According to the Qatar defence ministry, Iran had fired at least 10 ballistic missiles at the country. Two cruise missiles were fired directly from Iran. The majority of them were intercepted, and no casualties had been reported.
However, later the country stated that Iran had fired nearly a dozen of missiles. Six ballistic missiles and two cruise missiles were among those intercepted. According to reports, two ballistic missiles fell in Qatar's water bodies while two dropped in a deserted area.