Report: Qatar Secretly Spoke With Iran to Shield Gas Facilities During the War

Qatar held secret contacts with Iran during the war in an effort to prevent attacks on its energy infrastructure, according to a report Friday in The Washington Post. Security sources told the paper that after the fighting began, Doha proposed that Tehran avoid striking the Ras Laffan natural gas complex in Qatar.

In return, Qatar reportedly offered to stop gas production, a step that would have pushed global energy prices higher and increased economic pressure on the United States and Israel to end the war quickly. One informed source said Qatar’s message to Iran was, “You will achieve your goals without attacking us.” The two sources said Qatar did not obtain an Iranian commitment to the offer.

Still, they said later events suggested some kind of tacit understanding may have emerged, at least temporarily. On the third day of the war, Qatar shut down Ras Laffan, saying the move was due to military attacks on the facilities. Satellite images reviewed by The Washington Post showed no visible damage in the area.

Qatari officials’ statements also added pressure to global energy markets, including remarks by the country’s energy minister that the war would “ruin the economies of the world.” In response to the newspaper, Qatar denied seeking a secret deal with Iran and said the halt in production at Ras Laffan was based solely on the threat of attacks and concern for workers and infrastructure. Its International Media Office said any suggestion that operational energy decisions were coordinated with Iran, made for Iran’s benefit, or intended to affect the war was “completely false.” Qatar also said the allegation was an attempt to undermine ongoing mediation efforts to end the war, damage Qatar’s reputation, and weaken its strategic partnership with the United States.