Foreign minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani calls for restraint and finding fundamental solutions for outstanding issues.

Qatar has expressed its strong condemnation of the assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, head of the research center of new technology for Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards.

Fakhrizadeh was assassinated in a car ambush as he travelled through a district east of Tehran. The scientist was a leading figure in his field and one of the masterminds behind Iran’s nuclear program for many years.

Photos from the scene showed blood on the road and shattered windshield of a car, CNN reported. 

Iran’s foreign minister called the assassination “cowardice — with serious indications of Israeli role.”

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Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign made a phone call to his Iranian counterpart,  Mohammad Javad Zarif, on Saturday to discuss the implications of the incident that took place less than 24 hours before.

Qatar’s minister stressed the country’s strong condemnation of the extrajudicial killing, considering it a clear violation of human rights. The foreign minister also expressed condolences to the government and the people of Iran.

On Saturday, Iran’s supreme leader promised to retaliate for the killing of the scientist.

In an apparent effort to calm tensions, Qatar’s foreign minister called for restraint and finding fundamental solutions for outstanding issues, stressing that such incidents only contribute to more turbulence in a time where stability is needed. 

Qatar’s call for calm was met with appreciation from Iran with Javad Zarif thanking Doha for its stance and stressing the strength of relations between the two countries.

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