Intelligence Report Says Qatar Helps Iran Evade Sanctions and Build Military Capabilities

A newly published intelligence document says Qatar has been helping Iran bypass international sanctions and strengthen its economy and military, according to a report aired Tuesday on Kan News. The report says the foreign intelligence assessment describes Qatar as a central conduit for Iran’s economic, commercial, and military buildup since the 2018 U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear deal, and even after the October 7 attacks.

According to the document, Qatar expanded sea trade routes with Iran from 2018 onward, and bilateral trade jumped by tens of percent in those years. Cooperation in energy also surged, including an agreement to export electricity from Iran to Qatar. The report says Qatar is also a key player in releasing frozen Iranian funds, with the first money Iran is expected to receive under talks with the United States amounting to $6 billion held in Qatar.

The intelligence document says understandings on releasing the funds were reached between the two countries’ central bank governors in October 2024, but the United States blocked the move at the time. It adds that the money is intended to finance terrorism rather than economic prosperity.

Beyond the financial channel, the document says Qatar is also aiding Iran’s military buildup. It cites official data from Qatar’s National Planning Council showing steady deliveries of dual-use materials to Iran, including bituminous mineral oils that can be used for rocket fuel, explosives and vessels, and unusually large quantities of hydrogen that can also serve as rocket and drone fuel. The report also says aluminum rods and profiles, used for drone frames, and internal combustion piston engines, which can be directly used in drone production, were supplied. The document concludes that Qatar is directly harming the security interests of the United States, Israel and Arab states, and calls for concrete steps against its activity.