Qatar has declared the military and security attachés at the Iranian Embassy persona non grata and ordered them to leave the country within 24 hours, in a sharp and decisive diplomatic response to what it called repeated and blatant Iranian aggression against its territory and sovereign infrastructure.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs delivered an official note to the Embassy of Iran during a meeting held Wednesday between Director of Protocol Ibrahim Yousif Fakhro and Iranian Ambassador Ali Salehabadi, demanding the immediate departure of both attachés and all staff of their respective offices within the stipulated deadline.
The ministry said the decision was a direct response to repeated Iranian targeting and flagrant aggression against Qatar, which it said violated Qatar's sovereignty and security in a flagrant breach of the principles of international law, UN Security Council Resolution No. 2817, and the principles of good neighbourliness.
It warned unequivocally that any continuation of this hostile approach by the Iranian side would be met with additional and escalating measures by Qatar, in a manner that ensures the full protection of its sovereignty, security, and national interests. The ministry affirmed that Qatar reserves the right to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty and security in accordance with the provisions of international law.
Earlier, Qatar issued a sweeping and strongly worded condemnation of the attack on Ras Laffan Industrial City, which caused fires that resulted in significant damage to the facility. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the strike as a dangerous escalation, a flagrant violation of state sovereignty, and a direct threat to Qatar's national security and to broader regional stability. In a statement, the ministry affirmed that despite Qatar's consistent policy of distancing itself from the ongoing war since its very outset, and its firm commitment to avoiding any form of escalation, the Iranian side has continued to target Qatar and neighbouring countries in what it described as an irresponsible approach that undermines regional security and threatens international peace and stability.
The ministry stressed that Qatar has repeatedly and publicly called on all parties to refrain from targeting civilian and energy facilities, including those within the territory of Iran itself, in order to preserve the resources of the region's peoples and safeguard international peace and security. However, it noted that the Iranian side continues its escalatory policies, pushing the region toward the brink and drawing countries that are not party to the conflict into the crisis zone against their will.
The ministry said the attack constitutes a violation of UN Security Council Resolution No. 2817, renewing its call on the Council to assume its full responsibilities in maintaining international peace and security and to take the necessary and urgent measures to stop these serious violations and deter those responsible for carrying them out. The ministry also reiterated that Qatar reserves its right to respond in accordance with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter and the right to self-defence as guaranteed by international law, stressing that it will not hesitate to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty, security, and the safety of its citizens and residents.
The Gulf Cooperation Council also condemned the attack on Ras Laffan in the strongest possible terms. Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi described the strike as a grave aggression representing a flagrant violation of all international laws and norms, and an unacceptable escalation reflecting a hostile Iranian approach that poses a direct threat to the security and stability of the region and undermines regional peace.
He underscored that targeting oil facilities and critical energy infrastructure is unacceptable and universally condemned behaviour, aimed at destabilising the security of GCC states, compromising the stability of global energy markets, and posing a direct threat to regional and global energy supply security.
Albudaiwi called upon the international community to fulfil its responsibilities by halting these repeated Iranian attacks and putting an immediate end to the irresponsible acts that imperil regional and global peace and security. He reaffirmed the GCC's full and unwavering solidarity with Qatar, pledging that the bloc stands as a united front in support of all measures Qatar takes to protect its security, safeguard its sovereignty, and maintain the safety of its vital facilities.
