Qatar said Oct. 20 it was still relaying messages between the United States and Iran, seeking a diplomatic solution that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz as regional tensions threaten energy supplies.
Director of the Media and Communication Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ibrahim bin Sultan Al Hashmi said Doha’s mediation continued through visits and other contacts. He rejected a military solution and urged keeping the strait open while respecting freedom of navigation.
Al Hashmi warned that further escalation would impose costs on the global economy and energy supplies. He said a mine explosion, an oil spill from a vessel or damage to internet cables in the strait would hurt people across the region, including Iranians. He linked the waterway’s security to the region’s water supplies, maritime traffic and fishing. Al Hashmi said Iran was responsible for securing those waters and refraining from targeting them.
Qatar is separately preparing a regional defense partnership focused on missiles, drones and cyberattacks. Al Hashmi said broader efforts to diversify Qatar’s partnerships and strengthen its defenses were compatible with its mediation role.
