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Updates since Tuesday afternoon

• Qatar’s armed forces intercepted five Iranian missiles targeting the country after loud explosions were heard in Doha and residents received a National Emergency Alert warning that the security threat level had been elevated.
• Limited repatriation flights to and from Hamad International Airport (HIA) continued on Tuesday through a temporary air corridor.
• Qatar’s Ministry of Interior (MOI) also warned the public against scam calls exploiting the current regional crisis.
• British Airways canceled all Doha flights till late March.
• Qatar intercepted five ballistic missiles from Iran on Tuesday afternoon and an additional attack on Tuesday evening.

Ukraine to send military experts to Qatar and other Gulf nations

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine will send military experts this week to Qatar, the UAE and Saudi Arabia to advise on countering Iranian drones.

Drawing on extensive experience with Iranian-made Shahed drones used by Russia in the ongoing conflict, Zelenskyy said Ukraine is prepared to share its knowledge in exchange for U.S. air defence missiles to strengthen its defence against Russian attacks, according to The Guardian.

Loud blasts heard in Doha on Tuesday night, armed forces intercept another missile attack

Qatar’s Ministry of Defence said on Tuesday night that its armed forces successfully intercepted another missile attack.

Explosions were heard across Doha at around 9:46pm local time as air defence systems responded.

Shortly after, the National Alert System confirmed that the threat had been neutralised and the situation had returned to normal.

Qatar’s PM-FM receives separate calls from Chinese FM, Italian Deputy PM-FM, and EU foreign affairs representative

Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, held a phone call on Tuesday with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi to discuss the ongoing regional military escalation.

Sheikh Mohammed reiterated Qatar’s condemnation of the Iranian attacks on its territory and stressed Doha’s commitment to remaining outside regional conflicts while facilitating dialogue with Iran.

He also warned against targeting vital infrastructure linked to water, food and energy. Wang Yi called for de-escalation and urged a return to negotiations and diplomatic solutions to prevent further instability.

Sheikh Mohammed also held separate phone calls with Kaja Kallas, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and Antonio Tajani, Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, to discuss rising regional tensions.

British Airways suspends Doha flights

British Airways announced that it has temporarily reduced its Middle East flight schedule due to ongoing uncertainty and instability in regional airspace.

The airline has cancelled flights to and from Doha until late March and suspended services to Amman, Bahrain, Dubai and Tel Aviv for the same period.

Flights to and from Abu Dhabi are cancelled until later this year.

Qatar intercepts five ballistic missiles launched from Iran

Qatar’s Ministry of Defence announced that the country’s armed forces intercepted five ballistic missiles launched from Iran on Tuesday afternoon.

The ministry said the missiles were detected and successfully neutralised by Qatar’s air defence systems before reaching their targets.

Authorities confirmed that no casualties or damage were reported following the incident.

Malaysian Embassy in Doha assists stranded nationals with bus evacuation to Jeddah

The Malaysian embassy in Doha arranged a bus transfer on Monday to evacuate Malaysians stranded in Qatar to Jeddah, following travel disruptions caused by regional airspace closures.

The initiative was part of emergency measures to assist citizens affected by the situation.

Before departure, Malaysian ambassador to Qatar Faizal Razali reassured the group and thanked them for their cooperation.

Key takeaways from Majed Al-Ansari’s press briefing

Qatar’s Adviser to the Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Majed Al-Ansari, held the ministry’s weekly press briefing in Doha on Tuesday.

Here are some key quotes from the briefing:

• Emphasis on need to halt targeting of vital infrastructure
  • “Targeting vital infrastructure, whether it be water desalination facilities, water tanks, food reserves, medicine reserves, or medicine production facilities – any kind of infrastructure that sustains people’s lives – is a grave danger for the people of the region and beyond, whatever party is doing this, this needs to stop immediately. This region cannot take these kinds of attacks on its facilities.”

• Iran’s attacks target Qatar’s sovereignty, people and economy
  • “We rebuke any justification that the Iranians are offering for these attacks. This is an attack on our sovereignty, an attack on our people, an attack on our economy, an attack on our infrastructure and vital infrastructure.”

• Ripple effect of attacks on vital facilities
  • “The attacks on energy facilities that has happened also on both sides is a dangerous precedent that will cause not only the region to lose economically[…]but it will cause repercussions throughout the world. The ripple effects of attacking the energy facilities in this region, the ripple effects of blocking maritime navigation that’s taking place right now. It will be felt across the world.”

• No country can infringe on Qatar’s sovereignty
  • “No one in the world, including the Iranian foreign minister, has any say on Qatari sovereignty and who we choose to host in our country and what kind of diplomatic relationships we’re going to have.”

• Reaffirming strength of partnerships with the U.S.
  • The strategic partnership not only with the U.S. but all of our defence partners in the world is not up for question.”
• ‘Biggest I told you so’
  • “You can put a map of the region in front of you and you will not be able to find a finger-pointing space where escalation is not happening. This is exactly what we have said from day one. This is the biggest ‘I told you so’ in the history of ‘I told you sos’ in the world. We have said from day one, left unchecked, the escalation that started in 2023 would lead to a regional war.”

MOD: Armed forces intercept missile attack

Qatar’s Ministry of Defence said the armed forces intercepted a missile attack targeting the country.

The announcement came minutes after loud explosions were heard around 2:06 pm in Doha, as residents received security alerts urging them to stay indoors and avoid windows.

‘Elevated’ security threat level message sent to Qatar residents, loud explosions heard in Doha

Qatar residents received a National Emergency Alert at 2:06 pm stating that the security threat level had been elevated.

The message urged residents to stay indoors and avoid windows. Shortly afterwards, loud explosions were heard in different parts of Doha.

Qatar expressed its strong condemnation and denunciation of the drone attack that targeted the United Arab Emirates’ Consulate-General in Iraqi Kurdistan late on Monday.

Qatar condemns attack on UAE Consulate-General in Iraqi Kurdistan

In a statement on Tuesday, Qatar’s foreign ministry deemed the attack “a clear violation of all international norms and conventions that protect diplomatic missions and their headquarters”. 

“The targeting of diplomatic missions and headquarters was a clear violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and was a dangerous escalation that threatens the safety and security of diplomatic staff,” the ministry added.

The ministry also renewed Qatar’s “unwavering rejection of all violence and terrorist acts that target diplomatic missions or undermine security and stability”. Qatar also expressed its solidarity with and support for the UAE “in all measures it would take to enhance security and stability” in Iraq and the region.

MOI stresses need to adhere to instructions issued by authorities

The MOI stressed the importance of adhering to instructions issued by Qatari authorities and responsibly dealing with information related to the current developments in the country.

Watch: MOI offers guidelines for dealing with dangerous or suspicious objects

The MOI published a video on Tuesday offering guidelines for dealing with dangerous or suspicious objects.

HIA continues witnessing limited repatriation flights

Hamad International Airport (HIA) continued to handle passenger repatriation flights to and from Qatar despite the closure of the country’s airspace.

The current flights serve as a temporary corridor, referring to a restricted and controlled airspace arrangement authorised by the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority to facilitate the movement of stranded passengers and cargo while the country’s airspace remains closed.

Hamad International Airport (HIA) said in a post on X on Tuesday that repatriation flights could change depending on developments in the regional situation.

MOI warns public against scam calls exploiting regional crisis

Qatar’s Ministry of Interior (MOI) has warned the public not to respond to suspicious phone calls or messages from individuals falsely claiming to represent Qatari government agencies, amid the current regional situation.

The ministry, in a post on X on Tuesday, urged residents not to share passwords, bank card details, or one-time verification codes (OTP), and to avoid clicking on any links included in such messages.

Qatar witnesses calm Tuesday morning

Residents in Qatar woke to a calm Tuesday morning, with the last explosions heard on Monday at around 3:00 pm.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) said its armed forces had intercepted 17 ballistic missiles and six drones launched from Iran by Monday afternoon, successfully neutralising all incoming threats.