Qatar calls for de-escalation after Iranian attacks on UAE, Jordan

Qatar on Tuesday called for de-escalation and a return to negotiations between Iran and the US following Iranian attacks against the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.

“The return of escalation in the region is in no one’s interest,” Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari told a press conference in Doha, calling for calm and a return to negotiations.

Ansari also called for an end to Israeli escalation in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, accusing Tel Aviv of exploiting regional developments to impose a new reality in Palestine, Lebanon and Syria.

He said Doha is working with all partners to reach a peaceful solution and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

On Monday, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had shot down a US drone over the Strait of Hormuz, causing it to crash into Gulf waters.

The IRGC also said it struck the King Hussein and Azraq airbases in Jordan with ballistic missiles and targeted Al Minhad Air Base in the UAE with explosive drones.

​​​​​​​It said the attacks were retaliation for a US strike on Iran’s Larak Island on Sunday, which reportedly sought to prevent the placement of sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy supplies.