Qatar warns Donald Trump, says US attack on Iran will be catastrophic

Doha: Amidst the ongoing tensions between Iran and the United States, another west Asian country Qatar warned US President Donald Trump on Tuesday that an attack on its neighbor would be catastrophic. 

What is Qatar’s warning?

At a press conference in Doha, Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari stated unequivocally, "We know that any escalation will have devastating consequences for the region and beyond, and therefore we want to avoid it as much as possible." 

Qatar also warned that any tension between the US and Iran would be catastrophic for the region. He said that military tensions between the US and Iran could have serious consequences for the region. He made these remarks after Washington threatened to attack in response to the government crackdown on protests in the Islamic Republic.

How did Iran retaliate?

Last June, when the US attacked Iranian nuclear facilities, Iran retaliated by targeting the Al Udeid military base of the United States in Qatar. Doha then leveraged this unprecedented attack on its territory to help broker a ceasefire between Washington and Tehran. Qatar fears that if the US attacks Iran again, Iran might attack Qatar to target US military bases.

What is the situation in Iran?

Iran is currently engulfed in nationwide protests against the Ayatollah Khamenei regime. These violent demonstrations have so far resulted in the deaths of 2000 people, including security personnel and civilians. Meanwhile, the White House reiterated on Monday that US President Donald Trump is considering airstrikes on Iran to stop the crackdown on protesters.

What has Iran said?

In response to Trump's repeated threats of intervention in Iran, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that Iran would also retaliate. He said in a message broadcast by state television that US forces and shipping would be legitimate targets for Iran. This message has not only deepened tensions in the region but has also created a state of near-war. 

Meanwhile, Washington has also said that the door to diplomacy remains open, but Iran has adopted a "quite different tone" in private discussions with Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff.

Is a diplomatic solution possible?

“We are still in a situation where we believe a diplomatic solution is possible. We are involved in talking to all sides, obviously wanting to find a diplomatic solution with our neighbors and our partners in the region," Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry spokesman Ansari said. 

Meanwhile, the Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights (IHR) said it had confirmed that 648 people were killed during the protests, including nine minors, but warned that the death toll was likely much higher. Some estimates put the number at over 6,000.