Qatar has been increasingly vocal in its critique of Israel. Its foreign minister warned against attacks on Iran in an interview with Tucker Carlson in the US on Friday.
Qatar said the “Persian Gulf states will run out of drinking water in three days if Iran’s nuclear sites are attacked,” according to Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Iran’s official news agency.
This seems to be a talking point aimed at getting the Trump administration to enter a new deal with Iran, rather than pressure the Iranians in a way that could lead to Iran-Israel military clashes.
This appears to be part of Doha’s strategy, which is connected to a string of recent comments. In early March, for instance, Qatar slammed the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) for issuing a report about the October 7 massacre that said financial payments from Doha to Gaza had empowered Hamas.
In a statement from Qatar’s International Media Office, Doha cited “false accusations made by the Shin Bet security agency linking Qatari aid to the October 7 attack… yet another example of deflection driven by self-interest and self-preservation in Israeli politics.”
This also comes as media outlets and protesters have expressed concern about Doha’s role in influencing Israel.
Pressure on Israel
Over the weekend, Doha appeared to ratchet up pressure on Israel. Qatar said Israeli nuclear facilities should be brought under the regulation of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and it called for Israel to sign the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty (NPT) at a session of the IAEA in Vienna on Saturday.
This happened as Doha was continuing to host talks on a ceasefire in Gaza, Ynet reported. So far, Israel appears to have been outplayed in those talks, as Doha and Hamas hold most of the cards. The US is also having direct talks with Hamas now.
The foreign minister’s comments to Carlson are of particular interest in the region, and Iranian media outlets appeared to be pleased by them.
“[Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani] says Persian Gulf countries will run out of drinking water within three days if Iran’s nuclear facilities are attacked,” IRNA reported.
“[He] has strongly warned that any attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities will have catastrophic consequences for the entire region,” the report said.
The comments were made about the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant because of its proximity to the sea, which is close to the other Persian Gulf countries.
The water supply “would basically be entirely contaminated... the whole country would run out of water in three days… This is not only applied for Qatar, it is applied for Kuwait, for the UAE, for all of us in that part… We are physically close to Iran, about 120 miles away, right across the water,” the report said. “You can get there by a 90-minute boat ride.”
“Al Thani also expressed hope for a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear issue,” the report said.
“We do not support any military action in this region in any way, and we will not stop trying until a diplomatic solution is found between the United States and Iran,” IRNA quoted him as saying.
This is important, and it illustrates how Qatar is now playing its cards. Doha is pressuring Israel while also hosting talks. It is also more openly critiquing Israel while seeking to gets its message to more Right-leaning media and media personalities who are followed by some people in the pro-Trump orbit.
It remains to be seen whether the Trump team and envoy Steve Witkoff can achieve a new hostage deal.
Trump has been very vocal about support for the hostages and bringing them home. He hosted several of the freed hostages at the White House in early March.
Witkoff also said he hoped Hamas would show goodwill and release American citizen Edan Alexander, one of the hostages in Gaza.