Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani stated that establishing a hotline between the United States and Iran is essential to prevent rogue actors from disrupting the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, expecting Doha to resume liquefied natural gas (LNG) production at a normal pace within a few weeks.
اضافة اعلان
In remarks to the Financial Times published on Wednesday, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman added that the hotline agreed upon by the parties during the Switzerland talks is "crucial to counter misinformation and ensure coordination while clearing mines from the vital waterway."
He explained that one of the challenges lies in the fact that "anyone who wants to cause trouble might use maritime navigation communications to warn ships," saying: "Turn back, we will shoot, we are the Iranian Revolutionary Guard."
The Qatari Prime Minister said: "This is what happens to us sometimes. Therefore, the hotline aims to ensure verification if any ship faces any kind of threat from Iran, allowing it to pass safely."
Responding to a question regarding potential internal divisions within Iran, the Qatari Prime Minister said: "You will always find those who do not like the agreement, and some will try to sabotage it. This is expected in any conflict with any party."
Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz had prevented oil and gas tankers from transiting through the strait, although Qatar delivered a few shipments of LNG to Pakistan over the recent period through coordination between Islamabad and Tehran.
Iran was supposed to reopen the strait gradually without imposing fees on ships immediately upon signing the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the United States last week, with mine clearance scheduled during the first 30 days of the ceasefire extension. However, the Revolutionary Guard announced on Saturday the re-closure of the strait in response to Israeli strikes targeting the Hezbollah group in Lebanon.
Restoring Confidence
The Qatari Prime Minister noted that "the strait remained open" following that announcement, adding that "when mediators inquired with Iranian officials, they were informed that no order had been issued to close it." He added that "maritime traffic through the strait was expected to return to pre-war levels on the 30th day of the MoU."
However, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman noted that restoring confidence "will take time."
"Things cannot return to normal in one day; it will require a massive effort," he added, pointing out that Qatar "will reject any Iranian plans to impose fees on ships transiting the strait," should Tehran insist on its desire to impose levies. He continued: "This violates international protocol. For a country like Qatar, this waterway is our only gateway."
He further stated: "If there is a model proposed by the Iranians, they must present their arguments, and we must study it. We cannot accept a situation or circumstance where our gateway to the world is controlled."
In response to a question on whether the 60-day ceasefire extension is sufficient for the United States and Iran, the Qatari Prime Minister said the goal "is to reach at least a general agreement."
"There are many technical details that might take longer. These detailed agreements can be reached at a later stage, and this relates to the nuclear deal," he added. "As for regional security, if the political will is there and we intensify our efforts, we can achieve it sooner."
He pointed out that the U.S.-Iranian talks in Switzerland laid the "foundation" for negotiations toward a permanent settlement, adding: "The real work begins now."
The two sides agreed on a "de-confliction" mechanism to halt Israel's war on Lebanon, which had threatened to undermine the U.S.-Iranian talks.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman explained that a key element of this mechanism is the verification of ceasefire violations, which will be carried out in coordination among the Lebanese government, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), Iran, and the mediators.
He stated that while Israel and Hezbollah trade accusations regarding the clashes, Israel's response is "disproportionate," adding: "The Israeli government is escalating conflicts instead of de-escalating and attempting to engage in a constructive and responsible manner."
LNG Production
Regarding the resumption of natural gas production, the Prime Minister of Qatar said that his country—the world's second-largest exporter of LNG, whose facilities were subjected to Iranian attacks in the first weeks of the war—has already begun preparing its tankers following the signing of the MoU last week.
He added: "Within a few weeks, production will return to normal, except for the damaged facility. Our teams were mobilized a few weeks ago, and QatarEnergy is preparing for the return of normal operations as soon as conditions in the strait stabilize."
Qatar, which alongside Pakistan mediated high-level talks between the United States and Iran in Switzerland on Sunday, expects shipping traffic in the strait to begin returning to normal during the initial weeks of the agreement.
However, the Prime Minister cautioned that the state-owned company, QatarEnergy, will not lift the force majeure until it is certain that all issues have been addressed and that operations are safe.
QatarEnergy had halted production four days after the United States and Israel launched their war on Iran on February 28, following a drone attack on the massive Ras Laffan LNG terminal. The company subsequently declared force majeure and stated that plans to expand production capacity at the vast North Field from 77 million tons to 126 million tons per year by 2027 would also be delayed.
Missiles fired in another Iranian attack on Ras Laffan last March inflicted severe damage on facilities that produce about 17% of QatarEnergy's LNG output. QatarEnergy stated that repair works could take up to 5 years.
The Qatari Prime Minister warned that the damage inflicted by the war on the global economy will take time to repair even if the strait is fully opened, noting that shortages of key commodities, such as fertilizers, urea, petrochemicals, and helium, will be felt in the coming months.
In this context, he said: "We have stopped the damage from worsening and expanding, but its effects will also take some time to surface. We will see the repercussions this coming September and October."
Qatar is the world's largest exporter of helium, a vital element for MRI machines, and the second-largest exporter of urea, an essential raw material in the fertilizer industry.
