FILE- Motorists drive past a plume of smoke rising from a reported Iranian strike in the industrial district of Doha. AFP
“The attack represented a serious breach of Qatar’s sovereignty,” said Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, according to a statement issued by Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday.
The statement came after multiple explosions were heard over the Qatari capital Doha, hours after authorities said residents living near the US embassy were being evacuated as a precaution.
On Thursday, Qatar’s defence ministry said its military was working to intercept incoming missiles, while smoke was seen over parts of Doha.
In a phone call with Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker, Sheikh Mohammed stressed the need for an immediate halt to any escalation and called for a return to dialogue.
The Qatari foreign ministry also condemned Iranian attempts to target Turkey with a ballistic missile and Azerbaijan with drones. It warned that Iran’s efforts to open new fronts and expand the conflict with neighbouring states pose a serious threat to regional stability.
“Qatar calls for the immediate cessation of irresponsible Iranian policies that undermine the security of the region,” the ministry said, adding that the security threat remains high and advising residents to stay indoors.
The attacks on Qatar on Thursday came hours after the Qatari premier criticized Iran’s foreign minister in a phone call, marking the first high-level contact between the two countries since the Islamic Republic began its missile and drone campaign.
During the call with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Qatar’s prime minister said Iran was trying to “harm its neighbours and drag them into a war that is not theirs,” according to a statement from Qatar’s foreign ministry.
Explosions were also reported in Bahrain’s capital, Manama, on Thursday. In Saudi Arabia, officials said they intercepted three cruise missiles and several drones. “Three cruise missiles were intercepted and destroyed outside the city of Al-Kharj,” the Saudi defence ministry posted on X.
Moreover, a tanker was hit by a “large explosion” in waters off Kuwait, causing an oil spill, according to the British maritime security agency UKMTO.
Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards said they have “complete control” of the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway linking the Gulf to the Indian Ocean and one of the world’s most important shipping routes for energy.
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