Iran says it is only targeting US assets in Qatar – a claim rejected by Doha [Getty]
Multiple rounds of explosions echoed over the Qatari capital Doha on Thursday, just hours after officials said they were evacuating residents living near the US embassy.
AFP journalists on the ground in Doha described Thursday’s blasts as some of the most intense since Iran began targeting the Gulf state on Saturday. A column of black smoke was seen on the Doha horizon.
The attacks on Thursday came hours after the country’s prime minister lambasted Iran’s foreign minister during a call, in the first high-level contact between the two countries since the Islamic Republic launched its missile and drone campaign.
Qatari premier Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani accused Iran of seeking to “harm its neighbours and drag them into a war that is not theirs”, on the call with Iran’s Abbas Araghchi, according to a statement by Qatar’s foreign ministry.
During the call, Araghchi insisted that Iran had only targeted US military targets – a claim that was rejected by Al-Thani, who asserted that civilian infrastructure – including homes, industrial zones and liquified natural gas facilities – had also been targeted.
The Qatari prime minister also highlighted that the attacks “were not limited to missiles”, and included drones and military aircraft which were intercepted by the country’s air force.
While calling for immediate de-escalation, the Qatari premier also said that the attacks cannot go unanswered, highlighting Qatar’s right to self-defence.
The US-Israeli-instigated war has thrown Qatar – along with its Gulf neighbours – into the crossfire, with delicate long-standing regional balances being reconfigured.
While maintaining close security and economic ties with the US, Qatar has also kept good relations with Iran, with which it shares the South Pars gas field.
Doha has acted as a mediator at times between Washington and Tehran.
However, the unfolding of the war has greatly raised tensions between the two countries.
On Tuesday, Qatar announced it had busted two IRGC-linked spy cells in Qatar, marking another significant development in the changing relations between the two states.
According to Qatari state media, ten suspects were arrested; seven of whom were tasked with gathering intelligence on military installations, and three who were tasked with carrying out acts of sabotage, including using drones.
“I see it as a major political blunder for Iran, because these practices undermine trust between countries and contradict the logic of relations based on mutual respect and non-interference in internal affairs,” Qatari writer Jassim Fakhro told The New Arab‘s sister site, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.
“Therefore, the issue serves as a reminder that national security is a constant responsibility, and that wise countries combine quiet diplomacy with firmness in protecting their sovereignty.”
