Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and Grenadines meets Minister of State at Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Doha: Dr. Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari, advisor to the Prime Minister and official spokesperson for Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, announced on Tuesday that Qatar is persisting with its mediation efforts between the United States and Iran in order to foster understanding and find common ground between the two nations.

He reiterated Qatar's commitment from the outset to pursue a peaceful resolution and support the Pakistani mediation. Throughout the week, Dr. Al Ansari highlighted several meetings and exchanges of messages between the parties, with some occurring in New York during the UN General Assembly's 81st session and others before that.

As regional tensions escalate, the advisor emphasized Qatar's strong opposition to any targeting of infrastructure by any party. He stressed that such actions only harm the region's people and violate international law and principles of good-neighborly relations. Any threat to critical infrastructure is deemed a breach of international principles, according to Dr. Al Ansari.

Regarding the possibility of non-aggression agreements among Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states and Iran, Dr. Al Ansari noted that the region's countries did not choose to join the conflict and that Iran itself initiated hostilities against regional nations following the outbreak of war between Iran, Israel, and the United States. He urged Iranian officials to distance themselves and the region from this war, asserting that the recent events constitute an aggression against the region's sovereign states.

Qatar, alongside other regional countries, has consistently advocated for a dialogue-based solution to the crisis. Despite suffering a missile attack from Iran, Qatar remains steadfast in its belief that only dialogue can bring about peace. The advisor underscored the necessity of establishing a security framework based on coexistence, non-aggression, and good-neighborly relations, starting with an acknowledgement that none of the region's states will be targeted in future escalations.

The focus now is on bridging the gap and achieving a peaceful resolution that allows regional states to resume freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and address security concerns. Dr. Al Ansari also addressed the situation in the Gaza Strip, noting that the State of Qatar has been actively involved since the beginning. He mentioned multiple meetings with eight Arab and Islamic nations in New York and over a dozen ministerial and other-level discussions regarding the Gaza Strip and Palestinian territories.

He cautioned against developments in the West Bank, criticizing attempts to impose a new reality that contradicts the international consensus established since the Oslo Accords. Dr. Al Ansari commended countries imposing sanctions and measures against settlement activity in the West Bank and emphasized the need to intensify efforts to halt Israeli violations, especially those affecting the status quo in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

He also highlighted the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, stating that challenges are mounting daily. Qatar has consistently advocated for progress toward a political solution in New York and through various meetings, emphasizing its commitment to supporting the implementation of US President Donald Trump's plan in the Gaza Strip.