News
Qatar has once again entered the heart of the crisis between Washington and Tehran, but this time through a more sensitive gate: a Gulf state that received Iranian strikes, then returned to sit as a trusted mediator with Iran.
Doha, which was portrayed during the Gulf boycott crisis as the closest to Iran, later found itself facing a direct test: Iranian strikes and a force majeure declaration.
Details
• During the boycott years, the relationship with Iran gave Qatar political and logistical breathing space. This background created a Gulf perception that Doha was the least confrontational link with Tehran after Oman.
• The war changed the equation. Qatar did not remain outside the line of fire. It also received painful Iranian strikes, and QatarEnergy declared force majeure after vital facilities linked to the gas sector were targeted.
• Al Jazeera, which has long faced Gulf accusations of being close to the Iranian narrative, broadcast material contradicting Tehran’s claim that the strikes were limited to U.S. bases, and pushed to highlight that the targeting reached Doha, its streets, and its buildings.
• After that, the Qatari track relatively calmed down. Semi-normal life returned, and remote learning and remote-work measures ended, while other Gulf states were still facing waves of bombardment and drones.
• Suddenly, a Qatari delegation appears in Tehran, coinciding with a Pakistani presence that included the interior minister and then the army chief.
• Doha is not moving as a party returning to Tehran’s embrace. It is moving as a mediator that knows it was aggressively attacked, but also knows that its geographic and political position makes it difficult to bypass.
What Next?
Will the frozen funds file move?
Qalibaf’s undeclared visit, accompanied by a delegation that includes the Iranian central bank governor: is it premature, or are Iranian funds on their way to Tehran?
