Qatar has been increasingly vocal in its critique of Israel. The foreign minister of the Persian Gulf country also gave an interview to the Tucker Carlson Show in the US. During the interview, he warned about attacks on Iran.
According to Iranian state media, which picked up on the comments, Qatar said that “Persian Gulf states will run out of drinking water in three days if Iran’s nuclear sites attacked.”
This seems to be a talking point aimed at getting the Trump administration to enter a new deal with Iran rather than pressure the country in a way that could lead to Iran-Israel military clashes.
This appears to be part of a recent Doha strategy. It is connected to a string of recent comments. For instance, in early March, Qatar also slammed Israel’s Shin Bet after the agency put out a report about October 7 saying that financial payments from Doha to Gaza had empowered Hamas.
In a statement from Qatar’s International Media Office, Doha spoke about “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 and protesters have expressed concern about Doha’s role in influencing Israel.
Iran's Ali Khamenei meets with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, in Tehran, February 20, 2025 (credit: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS)
Iran's Ali Khamenei meets with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, in Tehran, February 20, 2025 (credit: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS)
Pressure on Israel
Over the weekend, Doha appeared to ratchet up pressure on Israel. Qatar said that Israeli nuclear facilities should be brought under the regulation of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and Doha called for Israel to sign the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty (NPT) at a session of the IAEA in Vienna on Saturday.
Israel’s Ynet noted that this happened as Doha was continuing to host talks on a ceasefire in Gaza. Israel appears to so far have been outplayed in those talks as Doha and Hamas hold most of the cards. The US is also in direct talks with Hamas now.
The comments to Carlson are of particular interest in the region. Iranian media appears pleased by these comments. “Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani The Qatari foreign minister says Persian Gulf countries will run out of drinking water within three days if Iran's nuclear facilities are attacked,” Iran’s IRNA state media reported.
“Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani has strongly warned that any attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities will have catastrophic consequences for the entire region. Al Thani discussed the dangers of a military attack on Iran during an interview with Tucker Carlson, an American political commentator and TV presenter, on Friday,” the report added.
The comments were made about the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant because of its proximity to the sea, which makes it close to the other Persian Gulf countries.
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An attack “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. You can get there by a 90-minute boat ride.”
The report noted that “Al Thani also expressed hope for a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear issue.” He added, “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.”
This is important, and it illustrates how Doha is now playing its cards. Doha is pressuring Israel, hosting talks, and more openly critiquing Israel while seeking to get 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 if the Trump team and envoy Steve Witkoff can get a new hostage deal. Trump has been very vocal about his support for the hostages and bringing them home. He hosted several free hostages at the White House in early March.
Witkoff also said in comments to the press that he hoped Hamas would show goodwill and release American citizen Edan Alexander, who is held in Gaza.