Qatar’s UN envoy in Geneva warns Iranian attacks on the Gulf risk wider conflict, and urges diplomacy over escalation.

Qatar’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Hind Abdulrahman Al-Muftah, has warned that recent Iranian attacks on Gulf states represent a “serious and dangerous escalation” that violates international law and risks widening the regional conflict.

Speaking at an event titled “Diplomacy and Security: Shaping Peace in a Fragmented World” at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy, Al-Muftah said the attacks constituted “a clear and unacceptable violation of national sovereignty” and could have far-reaching global consequences.

Her remarks come against the backdrop of a series of Iranian missile, drone, and aircraft attacks on Qatar since 28 February 2026, launched in response to the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.

The attacks included more than 200 missiles and dozens of drones targeting sites such as Hamad International Airport, Al Udeid Air Base, and the Ras Laffan LNG facility, causing injuries, infrastructure damage, and flight disruptions.

Qatar condemned these as sovereignty violations, intercepted most threats with F-15s and defences, and urged diplomacy while expelling Iranian diplomats.

Al-Muftah reiterated Qatar’s “strong condemnation” of attacks targeting its territory, stressing that such actions “cannot be justified under any circumstances”.

She added that Doha has consistently sought to distance itself from regional conflicts while facilitating dialogue between Iran and the international community.

Al-Muftah noted that Qatar had also condemned Israeli strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure, but said Iran’s subsequent response, which directly targeted Qatari territory as part of a broader pattern of attacks on civilian sites, marked a troubling escalation that undermines regional stability.

“These actions only lead to further destabilisation and increase risks for all countries in the region,” she said, emphasising that Qatar’s position remains that the conflict must be resolved through diplomatic means.

She added that Qatar had worked in good faith with regional partners to prevent the outbreak of war, but said these efforts had been met with repeated and unjustified attacks on its territory.

Continued hostilities, she warned, would deepen the crisis and expand its consequences.

Al-Muftah also called for a comprehensive reassessment of regional security arrangements, urging Gulf states to unite in developing a more effective and inclusive collective security framework based on cooperation and proven defence partnerships.

Highlighting Qatar’s diplomatic track record, she said mediation and humanitarian facilitation efforts have shown that diplomacy can yield tangible results even in highly polarised environments, adding that maintaining open communication channels remains both possible and necessary.

She also stressed that human rights and security must go hand in hand, underlining the importance of strengthening multilateral institutions to ensure constructive participation and preserve their credibility.