Qatar's emir: Islamic Republic's attack was a flagrant violation of Qatar's sovereignty

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the emir of Qatar, said in the opening speech of the annual session of Qatar's Shura Council in Doha on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, that the Islamic Republic's attack on Qatari territory was a flagrant violation of the country's sovereignty. He stressed that the security of the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the preservation of their sovereignty is not something on which concessions can be made.

The emir of Qatar said Doha's commitment to dialogue and peaceful solutions does not mean laxity in defending the country. According to him, Qatar's mediation efforts do not limit its right to defend its sovereignty.

Ras Laffan damage and the fall in Qatar's revenue

Sheikh Tamim called the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the damage to the Ras Laffan energy complex among the most important factors disrupting Qatar's exports. According to him, the Qatari state's revenue in the first six months of 2026 fell by about 42 percent; even so, he said, spending cuts did not harm essential services and development priorities, and policies adopted before the war allowed Qatar's economy to withstand this instability.

Qatar holds about one fifth of the global trade in liquefied natural gas, and any disruption to its production and shipment shakes the global energy market. Qatar's foreign ministry had earlier, in the first months of the war, called the Islamic Republic's attack on the Ras Laffan industrial city a "dangerous escalation" and a flagrant violation of the country's sovereignty.

Doha's four-part strategy

The emir of Qatar set out his country's strategy along four axes: firmly defending the country without being dragged into war; preserving services, supply chains and economic activity; helping efforts toward a ceasefire and the reopening of waterways; and encouraging negotiation. He called for strengthening the security of shipping in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz and for protecting energy facilities and civilian infrastructure against any kind of military attack.

The remarks come as attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz continue, with twelve commercial vessels targeted in a single week. Some Islamic Republic officials have also, in non-public messages, threatened neighbouring countries with sending forces if US attacks resume. Qatar, alongside Pakistan, has been one of the main mediators in efforts to end the war.

Even Qatar, one of the war's main mediators, now calls the Islamic Republic's attack a flagrant violation of its sovereignty.