Qatar PM: 'We Will Continue Talking to Iranians' — Second Diplomatic Track Opens Alongside Oman

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani told Sky News that Qatar would continue to seek de-escalation with Iran despite the war. 'We will continue talking to the Iranians, we will continue trying to seek de-escalation,' the prime minister said. He added: 'What happened is really a huge shake-up for the trust in the relationship that we have with Iran.' The statement is diplomatically significant on two levels. First, Qatar is positioning itself as a second Gulf diplomatic track alongside Oman — both small Gulf states with strong historical ties to Iran, capable of direct communication with Tehran. Qatar hosts the US Central Command's forward headquarters (Al Udeid Air Base) and has the most complex relationship with Iran of any Gulf state — hosting both the largest US military presence in the Middle East and a long-standing diplomatic and economic relationship with Tehran. Second, the Qatari PM's description of the situation as a 'huge shake-up for trust' is a candid acknowledgement of how severely Iran's regional attacks have damaged relationships that Qatar had carefully maintained. Qatar's continued engagement — despite this damaged trust — makes it a valuable interlocutor, precisely because it is known in Tehran as someone who has tried to preserve the relationship.