‘Proud as a Qatari’: Country’s PM salutes resilience amid Iranian attacks

The country’s prime minister urges resilience, says government committed to ensuring people’s lives are not disrupted.

Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani has commended Qatari citizens and residents for their unity during “repeated attacks from Iran”, while committing to ensuring that the lives of everyday people in the country are not disrupted.

Addressing a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, the prime minister – who is also Qatar’s foreign minister and chief diplomat – said that Iran had targeted not just military sites in Qatar, but also “civilian sites, showing little regard for the harm inflicted upon Qatar and the resources of its people”.

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The prime minister praised the “resilience” of people living in Qatar, given “the significance of the moment our country is going through”.

“I cannot fail to express my pride, as a Qatari, in the cohesion of our society and the unity of its ranks, citizens and residents alike,” Sheikh Mohammed told his cabinet.

He also praised the country’s armed forces for working “day and night to ensure the safety and security we enjoy”.

Iran has fired missiles and drones at countries across the Gulf region, with explosions reported in the Qatari capital Doha on Wednesday as the country’s military said it had intercepted Iranian missiles.

The prime minister said that officials in Qatar are working hard to ensure that life for citizens and residents continues as normal despite attacks from Iran.

Sheikh Mohammed noted that Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has called on officials to “work diligently to ensure that the normal course of life for citizens and residents remains uninterrupted”.

The prime minister also noted the “importance of perseverance”, adding that, while “Qatar has faced many difficult challenges in recent years”, the country had “emerged stronger” on every occasion.

UNSC denounces Iranian attacks on Gulf countries

The prime minister’s comments to the cabinet came on a day when Qatar’s ambassador to the United Nations, Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al Thani, separately condemned Iran’s strikes as a clear violation of international law, warning that a failure by the UN Security Council to respond would send “a dangerous signal that attacks against uninvolved neighbours carry no consequences”.

The UNSC later voted in favour of a resolution denouncing the Iranian strikes on Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states.

Qatar is among several Gulf nations that have faced Iranian strikes since the United States and Israel launched their offensive against Iran on February 28, causing disruptions to travel and trade.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Oman have all intercepted or absorbed strikes, with drones hitting fuel tanks at Oman’s Salalah port on Wednesday.

The broader conflict has now killed more than 1,300 civilians in Iran, with Tehran saying nearly 10,000 civilian sites have been bombed.

Qatar’s prime minister has called on both sides to return to the negotiating table, warning that Iran’s strikes on its neighbours serve “benefit for no one”.