Qatar has warned that escalating hostilities involving Iran risk pushing the Middle East towards a wider humanitarian and geopolitical crisis, urging Tehran to halt attacks before any diplomatic settlement can be discussed.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Dr Majed Al-Ansari said the region was entering what he described as a “very dangerous trajectory”, cautioning that continued military escalation could have catastrophic consequences.
“The trajectory we are going through right now is a very dangerous trajectory for the region,” Al-Ansari said.
“We keep warning that, again, if this is left unchecked and the conflict moves from negotiation rooms to battlefields, it will lead to even more catastrophic results for the people in the region.”
The warning comes as tensions across the Gulf have intensified following continued attacks attributed to Iran, which Gulf states say have targeted both military and civilian facilities.
According to Al-Ansari, Tehran must stop its strikes before there can be any meaningful discussion of diplomacy.
He accused Iran of targeting civilian infrastructure across the Gulf and warned that such actions pose a threat not only to the region but also to the wider global economy.
“The ripple effects of attacking the energy facilities in this region will cause repercussions throughout the world,” he said.
The Gulf is home to some of the world’s most critical energy infrastructure, producing a significant share of global oil and liquefied natural gas. Any disruption to these facilities could quickly affect international energy markets and global supply chains.
Al-Ansari also raised concerns about the humanitarian consequences of continued attacks on infrastructure that sustains civilian life.
“Iran’s targeting vital civilian infrastructure that sustains people’s lives is a grave danger for the people of the region and beyond,” he said.
He warned that further escalation could trigger severe humanitarian consequences.
“We will see a humanitarian catastrophe as a result of these attacks,” Al-Ansari said.
The Qatari official added that any attack on Qatar would be met with an appropriate response.
“Any attack on Qatar will be handled in the appropriate manner,” he said.
Qatar said it had hoped that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s recent apology to neighbouring countries over the attacks would help bring the strikes to an end. However, according to the Foreign Ministry spokesman, the attacks have continued.
Despite the sharp tone of the warning, Qatar has not closed the door on diplomacy, though officials say de-escalation must come first.
Al-Ansari declined to comment on reports regarding the appointment of Iran’s new supreme leader, saying Qatar’s immediate focus was defending the country from ongoing threats.
“We are busy defending our country from Iranian missiles, and we are not at the time of political niceties,” he said.
The remarks highlight growing concern among Gulf states that the confrontation risks escalating into a broader regional conflict with far-reaching consequences.
Analysts warn that attacks on civilian infrastructure and energy facilities could rapidly destabilise the region and send shockwaves through global markets, underlining the urgency of restoring diplomatic engagement before the crisis deepens further.