TEHRAN – Qatar Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman al-Thani has abandoned the threat of military action against Iran’s nuclear facilities and issued a harsh plea to the US and Israel to explain such escalation as a direct threat to the survival of the region.
In an interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson released Friday, Qatari leaders warned that the strike will unleash a “environmental catastrophe” that will cause “a war across the region” and put millions at risk.
“If Washington signs an attack on Iran’s nuclear site, we hope for retaliation,” the prime minister declared, emphasizing military action will destabilize the strategic interests of the US in West Asia.
Beyond geopolitics, PM emphasized an ecological apocalypse. Such an attack could unleash.
Contamination from colliding nuclear sites such as the Buchere Nuclear Power Plant cripples desalination infrastructure and leaves dry Persian Gulf states without easy drinking water.
“It’s not just Qatar. Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, we all face this risk,” he said, adding that environmental security is a unified regional priority.
“Without clean water, Qatar will dry out in three days. This is not hypothetical, it is existential,” he said.
The US intelligence agency could “warn” the Trump administration that the Israeli administration is likely to attempt a strike at Iran’s nuclear facility this year, increasing the risk of a wider regional war, as reported in the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal in February.
In response to these threats, Iranian officials are wary, with Foreign Minister Abbas Aragut on Saturday saying “an attack on Iran could turn into a widespread fire in the region.”
“This is exactly Israel’s plan, a plan to drag America into war, and if America enters war in this region, America is very vulnerable. They (the Americans) know that,” added the top Iranian diplomat.
Last month, Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) Aeronautics and Space Administration, warned that the catastrophic response would follow a strike at Iran’s nuclear site.
Strategic Partnerships: Gas, Geography, Unification
Tehran and Doha co-manage the world’s largest South Pur/North Dome Natural Gas Condensate Field.
He added: You can reach it by boat in 90 minutes. Our partnership transcends politics. ”
Repeating Doha’s opposition to nuclear weapons, he argued that “peace needs to work with neighbors, even if challenges arise.”
He also mentioned the recent diplomatic engagement between Iran and Qatar.
Qatar’s chief Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani visited Tehran in February for a high-level discussion with Iranian officials.
During his trip, he met with the leaders of the Islamic Revolution, with Ayatollah seyed President Ali Khamenei and President Masaud Pezeshkian strengthening bilateral ties and working on regional development.
His visit followed Iranian President Pezeshkian’s visit to Doha in October 2024.
The trip was the first of the Arab Iranian leaders of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council for over a decade, and brought about an agreement to increase bilateral trade to $1 billion and strengthen nuclear safety cooperation.
The Prime Minister welcomed these efforts as “great progress” and rejected the assertion that Qatar’s involvement would undermine the US alliance.
“Our friendship with America is rooted in mutual respect, not instructing,” he said. “However, stability requires the inclusion of Iran.”