The Emir of Qatar warns of the most dangerous stage the Middle East is going through and calls for a diplomatic solution to the Gulf crisis

The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, warned on Tuesday that the Middle East is going through one of its “most dangerous stages,” and called for an urgent diplomatic solution to the Gulf crisis that broke out as a result of the war between the United States and Iran.

In his speech before world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly, Sheikh Tamim said that the conflict comes as a result of years of postponing solutions through “temporary arrangements and unrealistic policies,” noting that “in the absence of a regional system for collective security, it has become possible for a war to break out based on considerations that have nothing to do with the interests of the countries of the region.”

The Emir of Qatar stressed that the crisis showed how instability in the Gulf can have far-reaching global consequences, including disruption of energy supplies, trade routes and international markets.

“It has become possible to close an international waterway through which nearly a quarter of global energy trade passes,” he said, referring to the Strait of Hormuz.

Sheikh Tamim expressed Qatar's conviction that the crisis can be resolved through diplomacy, including reopening the strategic waterway to navigation and returning to negotiations to prevent the outbreak of a broader regional war.

“The opportunity to reach a peaceful diplomatic solution must not be lost, a solution we see as possible and realistic,” he said, adding that any permanent settlement must provide security and stability for the entire region, including Iran.

He also warned that the economic repercussions of the conflict go far beyond the borders of the Gulf, as it leads to an increase in the prices of food and medicine and harms people who “have no clue about the causes of the conflict.”

Qatar plays the role of diplomatic mediator between Washington and Tehran, hosting indirect talks, facilitating sensitive prisoner exchanges, and managing frozen Iranian funds with the aim of easing tensions.