Qatar: Our success in deterring Iranian attacks does not absolve Tehran of responsibility

Qatar’s foreign ministry said Doha had documented in letters to the United Nations the launch of Iranian missiles and drones at civilian, commercial and residential areas on its territory, in response to Tehran citing a Qatari document saying its strikes were limited to US military facilities.

Doha stressed that the success of the Qatari armed forces in intercepting Iranian missiles and drones “does not diminish the seriousness of these attacks and does not absolve their perpetrators of responsibility.”

Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid Al-Ansari called on the Iranian side to “return to the record that was officially submitted to the UN, instead of selectively quoting from the security risk assessment prepared for operational purposes.”

The Qatari statement comes in the context of a statement by Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghai yesterday, Thursday, that Iran’s attacks targeting Qatar were only targeting military targets, according to a Qatari document prepared for the International Telecommunication Union plenary conference.

Al-Ansari explained that identical Qatari letters dated March 1, 2026, numbered “S/2026/110,” document rocket launches resulting in “16 injuries and damages,” in addition to another letter dated July 20 confirming additional attacks that resulted in “injury of 3 persons.”

Al-Ansari noted that the document cited by the Iranian side is a safety and security risk assessment prepared for the purposes of the International Telecommunication Union Plenipotentiary Conference and “it is not a comprehensive record of the facts or their legal assessment”, noting that it recognizes direct attacks, including gas or temporary attacks on March 1. Airspace closures, stressing that “summarizing their numbers in isolation from their context is misleading.”

Al-Ansar added that it was unfortunate that the Ras Laffan attack was described as “alleged” even though it was officially documented in the UN message “S/2026/207”, which emphasized that these facilities are considered “a capability of the people of Qatar and an essential part of the global energy security system”.

Al-Ansar stressed that the State of Qatar “is not a party to this conflict” and that “attacking its lands and civilian infrastructure and endangering its population, or destabilizing actions in the Strait of Hormuz cannot be justified as a legitimate response”, stressing that these actions are “a clear violation of international law and there will be no selective change to them.”

A spokesman for Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed that Qatar will continue its diplomatic efforts and tireless efforts aimed at “de-escalating and enhancing security and stability in the region”, based on its firm position that “dialogue and peaceful means remain the best way to resolve disputes”.