Qatar warns global energy shockwaves from Iran war have yet to peak

Deputy PM calls for dialog with Tehran, highlights US defence ties and rejects Strait of Hormuz transit fees.

Doha, Qatar — Qatar’s lawman premier curate has warned that planetary vigor shockwaves from the US-Israel warfare connected Iran person yet to scope their peak, raising concerns astir further disruption to supplies, planetary commercialized and economical growth.

Speaking astatine the Global Security Forum successful Doha connected Monday, Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who besides serves arsenic Minister of State for Defence Affairs, identified respective threats facing Qatar and the wider Gulf, including risks to sovereignty and disruptions to vigor supplies.

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“We haven’t reached the highest with respect to energy,” helium said, informing of further repercussions “in the coming days and months”.

His remarks travel amid continued instability successful the Strait of Hormuz – a captious waterway for planetary lipid and liquefied earthy state (LNG) shipments – pursuing the US-Israeli attacks connected Iran connected February 28, and Tehran’s retaliatory strikes crossed the region.

Iranian strikes connected Qatar’s Ras Laffan concern analyzable successful March damaged facilities, with repairs expected to instrumentality respective years.

“We were surprised,” Al Thani said erstwhile asked astir the attack, adding that determination had since been “a batch of treatment with Iran”.

He said Qatar had drawn lessons from the strikes, “to marque definite that each of our assets volition beryllium protected from immoderate unexpected attack”.

Al Thani besides warned against imposing tolls connected ships passing done the Strait of Hormuz.

“Transit fees should not beryllium applied,” helium said, adding that uncertainty implicit the waterway would yet impact consumers worldwide.

‘We ne'er halt our communication’

Despite the attacks, Al Thani said Qatar continued to support interaction with Tehran.

“We ne'er halt our communication,” helium said, adding that the 2 countries remained successful interaction astatine antithetic levels contempt their disagreements.

He described Qatar’s narration with Iran earlier the attacks arsenic 1 of trust, pointing to their shared offshore gasfield and longstanding economical interests.

Al Thani expressed anticipation that mediation efforts involving Qatar, Pakistan and Oman would assistance nutrient an statement betwixt the United States, Iran and different parties, including Israel.

He said a sustainable colony would necessitate broader determination dialog involving Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Pakistan and Turkiye, successful consultation with planetary allies.

“We request to physique this connected trust,” helium added.

Al Thani besides suggested processing economical ties with Iran to forestall aboriginal conflicts, citing practice betwixt France and Germany pursuing decades of hostilities.

“Iran is our neighbour. We request to find ways to unrecorded with them,” helium said.

US defence ties

Al Thani besides highlighted Qatar’s longstanding defence concern with Washington, saying that “more than 90 percent” of attacks had been prevented done shared expertise and subject capabilities developed implicit the past 3 to 4 decades.

He said Qatar was continuing to make Al Udeid airbase, which hosts US forces and subject unit from different spouse countries.

The basal was itself targeted by Iran during the conflict, with Qatar reporting that it had changeable down 2 Iranian warplanes during an onslaught successful aboriginal March.

Al Thani besides announced plans for a caller determination defence partnership, saying Qatar was prioritising respective aspects including aerial defence, counter-drone measures and cybersecurity.

“I’m blessed to denote contiguous besides that soon we’re going to denote a caller partnership,” helium said, without naming the determination partners involved.

The lawman premier curate stressed that Qatar’s mediation efforts did not diminish its committedness to defending its territory.

“Mediation doesn’t mean that we should not beryllium acceptable for immoderate antiaircraft enactment from our side,” helium said.