Following the ceasefire between Iran and Israel, Qatar announced on Tuesday that it hopes to facilitate indirect talks between Israel and Hamas within the next two days, in an effort to broker a ceasefire in Gaza as well.
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said Doha “hopes Israel will not use the ceasefire with Iran as an opportunity to continue its attacks on Gaza, and that it will stop its bombardments.”
The ceasefire between Israel and Iran, announced overnight by U.S. President Donald Trump, was reportedly brokered by Qatar. According to Al Thani, Iran agreed to the ceasefire following his discussions with Iranian officials in the wake of Tehran’s missile attack on a U.S. base in Qatar—a strike it described as “revenge” for the American bombing of its nuclear facilities.
Iran fired missiles at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East. While Tehran described the attack as “powerful and destructive,” U.S. media reported that Iran had given early warning several hours in advance, apparently to limit casualties and avoid a significant escalation. Ten missiles were launched toward the base, but it was not hit.
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv
Doha said that the Iranian ambassador to Qatar was summoned Tuesday for a formal reprimand, during which Qatari officials expressed their protest over the strike. The Qatari prime minister added that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian spoke with the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and apologized for the attack on Qatari soil.
Al Thani said the Iranian strike would leave a scar on relations between the two countries but expressed hope that neighborly ties would not be harmed. In his remarks Tuesday afternoon, he also called on Iran and the United States to resume negotiations on a new nuclear agreement.