Qatar calls for phased de-escalation for sustainable solution to Iran war

Qatar is seeking to “phase this crisis out” rather than pursue an immediate end to the US-Iran war, with the broader goal of creating the conditions for comprehensive regional dialogue and a sustainable political solution, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said Monday.

Speaking to CNN, Al-Ansari said Doha believes the current crisis cannot simply be frozen, warning that a temporary halt in hostilities could pave the way for another escalation.

“We have to phase this crisis out rather than end it immediately,” he said. “What we need to do is make sure the playing field is in a place where we can have the right negotiations for a sustainable solution.”

He said Qatar does not want the region to move from one period of intense conflict to another, stressing that any resolution must address the underlying regional issues.

“We do not want to go from a high-intensity conflict to a high-intensity conflict. We don't want to freeze this conflict and be back here a couple of months later,” he said.

Al-Ansari said Qatar’s immediate priorities are to ease economic pressure and prevent further military escalation across the region, including attacks affecting Gulf states and Iran.

“Right now, what we are doing, we have two main priorities. One is make sure that the Strait (of Hormuz) is open and that the economic pressure on all of us collectively and the peoples in the region, including the people of Iran, has left us.”

The second priority, he said, is preventing further military escalation so that regional actors can eventually push for an inclusive dialogue.

“When we get to that point, this is the point we need to have a regional push, all of us collectively, to make sure that dialogue happens and it is a comprehensive dialogue that includes all of us, not just outside.”

Al-Ansari said political will and technical issues remain the two main obstacles to reaching a settlement, adding that Qatar is developing proposals aimed at addressing both.

He also argued that sanctions have failed to deliver the expected diplomatic results, saying the conflict ultimately can only be resolved through negotiations.

“But at the end, this issue will only be resolved through a deal. It will only be resolved at the negotiation table.”

He also warned against allowing the disruption of the Strait of Hormuz to become normalized, saying the consequences could extend beyond the region through energy, food and economic shocks.

“We need to kill this in its infancy. It cannot become the new normal in war for countries to basically just close waterways in this way.”

He called for accountability and international law to prevail, warning that normalization of such tactics could have consequences far beyond the current conflict.