Doha, Feb 28 (IANS) Terming it as an “unacceptable escalation”, Qatar on Saturday strongly condemned the targetting of its territories and those of “sister States’ by Iranian ballistic missiles, asserting that Doha reserves its full right to respond.
“The State of Qatar expresses its strongest condemnation of the targetting of Qatari territories with Iranian ballistic missiles, considering it a flagrant violation of its national sovereignty, a direct assault on its security and the safety of its lands, and an unacceptable escalation that threatens the security and stability of the region,” read a statement issued by Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The State of Qatar, it said, reserves its full right to respond to this targetting, in accordance with the provisions of international law and in proportion to the nature of the aggression, in defence of its sovereignty and to safeguard its security and national interests.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasises that the State of Qatar has been and remains among the first to call for dialogue with the Islamic Republic of Iran, and has advocated for continuing on this principle as the optimal foundation for addressing differences and resolving disputes through peaceful means, thereby sparing the region the risks of escalation,” the statement mentioned.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirms that the targetting of Qatari territories is inconsistent with the principles of good neighbourliness and cannot be accepted under any pretext or justification, as the State of Qatar has always endeavoured to distance itself from regional conflicts and sought to facilitate dialogue between the Iranian side and the international community. However, the renewed targetting of its territories does not reflect good faith and threatens the foundation of understandings upon which bilateral relations between the two countries were built,” it added.
Doha also expressed its condemnation of the violation of the sovereignty of the Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and the Kingdom of Bahrain in the “treacherous Iranian aggression”, affirming Qatar’s full solidarity with these sister states in all measures they take to preserve their sovereignty, security, and stability.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs renews the State of Qatar’s call for an immediate halt to any escalatory actions, a return to the table of dialogue, the prioritization of the language of reason and wisdom, and efforts to contain the crisis in a manner that preserves the security of the region, safeguards the interests of its peoples, and prevents slippage toward broader confrontations,” the Qatar MFA stated.
Earlier in the day, US President Donald Trump confirmed that the United States has initiated a “major combat operations” in Iran, confirming a dramatic escalation in hostilities that heightened fears of a broader regional conflict in a strategically and economically sensitive part of the world.
–IANS
/as
