Report: Qatar Secretly Sought Deal with Iran to Shield Gas Giant

The Washington Post reported that Qatar held secret talks with Iran at the start of the war, trying to keep Iranian attacks away from its gas facilities. According to the report, Doha proposed that Tehran spare the Ras Laffan natural gas complex in Qatar, and in return Qatar would stop producing gas, a move that could drive up global energy prices and increase economic pressure on the United States and Israel to end the war quickly.

The article says the effort collapsed after Iran launched a missile attack on Qatar in mid-March, sending smoke over what is described as the world’s largest natural gas production facility. The strike damaged parts of a power station that supplies nearly one-fifth of the world’s gas and threatened multibillion-dollar contracts with China and other customers. It also weakened Qatar’s role as a key intermediary between the United States and Iran.

Sources cited by the paper said Qatar had tried to remove the Ras Laffan industrial complex, nearly twice the size of Washington, D.C., from Iran’s target list. One informed source said Doha’s message to Tehran was, “You will achieve your goals without attacking us.” But officials said Qatar never secured any commitment from Iran, though later events suggested a possible temporary tacit understanding.

On the third day of the war, Qatar shut Ras Laffan, saying it was due to military attacks on the facilities. The Washington Post said satellite images showed no apparent damage there. Qatar’s energy minister said the war would “devastate the economies of the world,” adding to market pressure. Qatar later denied any secret deal, saying the production halt was only because of the threat and concern for workers and infrastructure, and called the allegation an attempt to undermine mediation efforts and the strategic partnership with the United States.