Qatar PM describes 'big sense of betrayal' by Iranian strikes on Doha, Gulf states

Qatar's Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani. (File photo/Reuters)

Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said that Doha felt a “big sense of betrayal” following Iran’s retaliatory attacks on Qatar and other Gulf states, according to Sky News.

He warned that the escalation risks destabilising the Middle East and triggering global economic shockwaves.

Speaking to Sky News in his first media comments since Qatar came under repeated attacks, Al Thani described Iran’s strikes on Gulf countries as a “dangerous miscalculation" and urged all sides to step back from further military escalation.

“ We never expected this to come to us from our neighbour. We were always building this relationship, in preserving the good neighbourhood, and a relationship in good faith with Iran,” Sheikh Mohammed said in a sit-down with Sky News Lead World News presenter Yalda Hakim in Doha.

“Unfortunately, there are some justifications and pretext that they’ve been using to justify these attacks on the State of Qatar and other countries, which is totally rejected,” he added.

He said that ​the latest events had delivered “a huge shake‑up” ​to the trust underpinning their relationship with Iran.

"For the US, we would like to see ​a de-escalation, we would like to ​see ... a diplomatic solution that addresses our concerns ‌as ⁠well as their concerns," he added.

"We need to ensure, first, that Iran should stop all attacks against Gulf countries ​and other ​countries ⁠that they are attacking and are not party of this ​war," he said, according to Reuters.

The US and Israel ​launched ⁠coordinated strikes on Iran last week, prompting Tehran to fire missiles toward Israel and ⁠several ​Gulf locations hosting US ​military facilities.