ISTANBUL

Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani called Thursday for an immediate end to the war in the region and a halt to Iranian attacks on Arab countries in the region.

“We stress the importance of the immediate cessation of Iranian attacks on countries in the region,” Sheikh Mohammed told a joint news conference in Doha with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

“The war must stop immediately, and everyone knows who benefits from it and who is dragging the region into conflict,” he said.

The premier said Iran’s actions constitute “a destabilization of security and stability” of the region, warning that the latest Iranian attack on the Ras Laffan gas facility “will have repercussions on energy supplies.”

“We believe diplomacy is the first and final solution to conflicts,” the premier said.

“We condemn Iran’s attacks on Türkiye,” Sheikh Mohammed, who is also foreign minister, said, adding that Tehran’s claim of targeting US bases is “unacceptable and unjustified.”

Regional escalation has continued to flare since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, killing so far around 1,300 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.

*Writing by Rania Abushamala in Istanbul