Qatar’s deputy prime minister has warned that global energy shockwaves from the US-Israel war on Iran have yet to peak, raising fears of further disruption to supplies, trade and economic growth.
Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who is also Qatar’s Minister of State for Defence Affairs, issued the warning at the Global Security Forum in Doha on Monday.
He identified threats to Qatar and the wider Gulf, including risks to national sovereignty and interruptions to energy supplies. “We haven’t reached the peak with respect to energy,” he said, warning of further repercussions “in the coming days and months”.
His comments came amid continued instability around the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments. The waterway has been affected by the conflict that began with US-Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28 and Tehran’s retaliatory strikes across the region.
Iranian strikes on Qatar’s Ras Laffan industrial complex in March damaged facilities, with repairs expected to take several years. Asked about the attack, Sheikh Saoud said: “We were surprised,” adding that there had since been “a lot of discussion with Iran”.
He said Qatar had learned lessons from the strikes and would work “to make sure that all of our assets will be protected from any unexpected attack”.
Sheikh Saoud also rejected the idea of charging vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, warning that uncertainty over the waterway would eventually affect consumers around the world.
“Transit fees should not be applied,” he said.
Qatar maintains contact with Iran
Despite the attacks, Qatar has continued communicating with Tehran. “We never stop our communication,” Sheikh Saoud said, adding that contact had been maintained at different levels despite disagreements between the two countries.
He described Qatar’s relationship with Iran before the attacks as based on trust, pointing to their shared offshore gasfield and longstanding economic interests.
The minister expressed hope that mediation efforts involving Qatar, Pakistan and Oman could help secure an agreement between the United States, Iran and other parties, including Israel.
He said a lasting settlement would require wider regional dialogue involving Gulf Co-operation Council countries, Pakistan and Türkiye, in consultation with international allies. “We need to build this on trust,” he added.
Sheikh Saoud also argued that stronger economic ties with Iran could help prevent future conflicts, citing the development of co-operation between France and Germany after decades of hostility.
“Iran is our neighbour. We need to find ways to live with them,” he said.
Qatar plans new regional defence partnership
Qatar’s deputy prime minister also highlighted the country’s defence relationship with Washington, saying that “more than 90 percent” of attacks had been prevented through shared expertise and military capabilities developed over the past three to four decades.
He said Qatar was continuing to develop Al Udeid airbase, which hosts US forces and military personnel from other partner countries. Qatar reported that the base was targeted by Iran during the conflict and that two Iranian warplanes were shot down during an attack in early March.
Sheikh Saoud announced plans for a new regional defence partnership focused on areas including air defence, counter-drone measures and cyber security, although he did not identify the countries that would be involved.
He stressed that Qatar’s mediation efforts did not lessen its commitment to protecting its territory. “Mediation doesn’t mean that we should not be ready for any defensive action from our side,” he said.
