Iran ‘betrayed the Gulf region’: Qatar PM slams Iran’s attacks as ‘dangerous miscalculation’

Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has sharply criticised Iran, saying Tehran’s recent attacks on Gulf countries amount to a betrayal of the region.

Speaking to Sky News amid escalating tensions in West Asia, Al Thani said Iran’s missile and drone strikes on neighbouring countries had crossed a line and damaged trust built over years of diplomacy.

“Iran has betrayed the Gulf region,” he said, referring to attacks that have hit several states despite them not being direct participants in the conflict.

The remarks come as the war involving Iran, Israel, and the United States continues to widen, with missiles and drones striking targets across the Gulf. Regional leaders have increasingly expressed alarm that the conflict is spilling into countries that are not directly involved.

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‘Dangerous miscalculation’

Al Thani described the attacks as a “dangerous miscalculation,” warning that targeting Gulf states risks dragging the entire region deeper into the conflict.

According to the Qatari leader, the strikes have undermined regional stability and shaken confidence between Iran and its neighbours.

The prime minister stressed that Gulf countries had tried to avoid becoming part of the war, but Iranian attacks on their territory made that increasingly difficult.

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He also pushed back against Tehran’s claims that its strikes were aimed only at US military interests in the region, saying civilian and residential areas had also been hit.

Qatar had earlier rejected similar explanations from Iran and called for an immediate halt to the attacks, insisting that its sovereignty must be respected.

Calls for diplomacy despite tensions

Despite the sharp criticism, Al Thani said Qatar would continue engaging diplomatically with Iran in an effort to prevent the crisis from spiralling further.

“We will continue talking to the Iranians, we will continue trying to seek de-escalation,” he told Sky News, stressing the importance of dialogue in avoiding a wider regional war.

He added that Iran must stop attacks on Gulf countries and others who are not directly involved in the conflict.

The comments highlight the delicate position Gulf states find themselves in as fighting intensifies. While many of them host US military bases or maintain security ties with Washington, they have also tried to maintain working relations with Tehran.

However, Iran’s recent strikes across the region have increasingly strained those relationships and prompted stronger condemnation from Gulf leaders. With tensions continuing to rise, diplomats warn that the situation could escalate further unless both sides step back and reopen channels for negotiation.