(Al Jazeera Media Network) Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Majed al-Ansari has said Iran had crossed “many red lines” during its ongoing attacks on neighbouring countries and stressed the need for de-escalation as the US-Israel war with Iran continues with no clear end in sight.
During a news conference on Tuesday, al-Ansari said Iranian attacks on Qatar were having a “catastrophic effect on the relationship between the two countries.”
The spokesperson called on all parties to the war to refrain from attacking nuclear or energy infrastructure, warning that “any further escalation will mean more losses for all parties.”
Since the US and Israel launched joint attacks on Iran at the end of February, Iran has targeted various regional countries – Qatar, Iraq, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan, and Kuwait – despite them not being part of the conflict.
While Iran maintains that it is not targeting its neighbours, but US assets located in the region, the affected countries have issued widespread condemnation and called for the cessation of hostilities, as the attacks have caused damage to civilian infrastructure, including airports, energy facilities and ports, and resulted in casualties.
Amid the attacks, some countries have continued to seek a path to end the war.
Al-Ansari explained that Qatar – a country that has been at the heart of past regional mediation efforts – is not involved in Pakistan’s efforts to end the war on Iran.
“We have ongoing communications with all parties, including the mediators as well as other regional players,” he said.
“What we should emphasise here is that we totally support the endeavours made by Pakistan, and we hope it will bear fruit and bring about permanent peace and stability in the region,” he added.
Last Sunday, Pakistan, a country that borders Iran, held four-way talks with the foreign ministers of Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt to discuss ending the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Increasing efforts, on Tuesday, Pakistan released a five-point initiative with China to restore “peace and stability” in the region.
In a statement published by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and posted on X, the two countries called for the “immediate cessation of hostilities”.
The statement entreated the start of peace talks and said that the “sovereignty, territorial integrity, national independence and security of Iran and the Gulf states should be safeguarded.”
The other points called for the security of “nonmilitary targets”, the security of shipping, including the Strait of Hormuz, and for lasting peace based on the United Nations charter and international law.
At the same time, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday that while the US is pursuing talks with Iran, it was keeping military escalation on the table.
