Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran had no intention of confrontation with Qatar during a missile strike on an US airbase near Doha on Monday, assuring the Qatari emir that the attack was solely a response to the US’ complicity in the recent Israeli military aggression.
In a telephone conversation with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Pezeshkian stated said the purpose of the call was to pacify him and the esteemed people of Qatar following Iran’s retaliatory strike on the United States’ airbase of Al Udeid.
“I reached out to you at the earliest opportunity to convey that yesterday’s incident was merely a reaction to the direct and overt involvement of the United States in the Zionist regime’s aggression against Iranian territory and should not be interpreted as a confrontation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and its friendly, brotherly neighbor, Qatar,” Pezeshkian said, his official website reported.
The Iranian president also praised Sheikh Tamim for all his efforts to stop the war and for the support, solidarity, and cooperation with Iranians.
Highlighting Iran’s efforts to solve the issues on its nuclear program, Pezeshkian said, “You are aware that we were negotiating to resolve issues, but we were attacked in the midst of these negotiations. Although proposals for sitting at the negotiating table were put forward, naturally, negotiations under military pressure and aggression occur to impose the demands of the aggressor. Therefore, it was not accepted by us until a proper response was given to the aggression perpetrated by the Zionist regime.”
“Today, the Zionist regime and its supporters have realized that Iran is not Gaza, Lebanon, or Syria, which they can disrupt with a few attacks to achieve their objectives. The people of Iran will stand firm and defend their legitimate rights until the end,” Pezeshkian underscored.
The Qatari emir, for his part, emphasized that Qatar has made significant efforts, both publicly and privately, to keep the region safe from the Zionist regime’s provocations, including its aggression against Iranian territory
Sheikh Tamim also noted that the US airbase in Qatar has not been and will not be used for attacks against Iran, adding that he does not hide the fact that what happened on Monday was a significant shock for him and the people of Qatar.
“At the same time, while appreciating your call and sympathy, I emphasize that we in Qatar see a larger picture and a broader horizon. Amid the solidarity of the Qatari people with their brothers in Iran during the military aggression of the Zionist regime, we are thinking about deepening and expanding our relations in the future,” the emir stated.
Source: Iranian media
