Qatar declared several Iranian Embassy attaches persona non grata on Wednesday following an Iranian strike on a key liquefied natural gas facility, escalating tensions between Doha and Tehran as the broader war intensifies.
Expelling Iranian diplomatic personnel marks one of Doha’s strongest retaliatory steps to date and signals a possible shift away from its traditionally cautious approach toward Iran.
Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on X that the diplomatic expulsion was in response to what it described as a violation of sovereignty after Iranian-linked attacks targeted energy infrastructure critical to the country’s economy.
“The Ministry clarified that this decision comes in the wake of repeated Iranian targeting and treacherous aggression that targeted the State of Qatar, violated its sovereignty and security,” the ministry said. “The continuation of the Iranian side in this hostile approach will be met with the State of Qatar taking additional measures to ensure the protection of its sovereignty, security, and national interests.”
The move follows a series of Iranian strikes on Qatar since the start of the war in Iran. Among the most significant was a drone attack on facilities in Ras Laffan Industrial City and Maseieed, central hubs of Qatar’s liquified natural gas production.
QatarEnergy, the state-owned firm and one of the world’s largest LNG producers, halted production on March 2 after the strikes, triggering sharp increases in global gas prices and raising concerns about energy supply disruptions.
Qatari officials have condemned the strikes as “flagrant violations” of sovereignty and warned of further diplomatic security measures if the strikes continued.
The attacks are part of a broader Iranian campaign targeting Gulf infrastructure in retaliation for U.S. and Israeli strikes, which began Feb. 28 after the collapse of nuclear negotiations. Iranian missiles and drones have struck multiple sites in Qatar, with at least 16 people injured in earlier barrages, according to officials.
Qatar, which shares the world’s largest natural gas field with Iran, had previously sought to maintain a working relationship with Tehran despite regional tensions. However, repeated strikes on its territory, including energy facilities and areas near U.S. military installations, have strained those ties.
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The LNG facility targeted in the most recent strike is part of the infrastructure that supports a significant portion of the global gas supply. Qatar accounts for a major share of liquefied natural gas exports, and disruptions have already reverberated across international markets.
Saudi Arabia is slated to host a meeting of foreign ministers from Arab and Muslim-majority countries to discuss finding a way to de-escalate the war, according to reporting from Al Jazeera. Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense said Wednesday that it intercepted six Iranian ballistic missiles launched toward the country.
