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Qatar Warns Gulf Stability Is No Longer Guaranteed Amid US-Iran Conflict
(MENAFN) Qatar warned Monday that stability across the Gulf can no longer be considered guaranteed as the US-Iran conflict continues, cautioning that the region’s recent turmoil could become a “new normal.”
Speaking at the third Hili Forum in Abu Dhabi, Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari said recent events had challenged the long-standing perception of the Gulf as an “oasis of stability.”
“We cannot take for granted the fact that this region will be the oasis of stability. That is no longer the reality,” he said.
Al Ansari stressed that Gulf states should take all necessary steps to restore regional stability rather than accept the current conditions as permanent.
He also argued that mediation and potential agreements between Washington and Tehran would not provide a lasting resolution without stronger economic ties among regional countries.
“Any solution, any deal that is signed, any mediation that will take place, nothing will happen beyond freezing the conflict unless there is real economic interdependency in the region, where the decision to disrupt our economies means disrupting your economy,” he said.
According to Al Ansari, Gulf economies remain largely “siloed,” including those of countries that are allies or strategic partners. He called for deeper economic integration both within the Gulf and across the wider region.
Discussing the Strait of Hormuz, he pointed out that the vital waterway remained open even during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s. He warned that the current disruption had crossed a longstanding “taboo” against using major international waterways as tools of conflict.
“We might see it at a later stage in other straits around the world, in other waterways around the world, because the taboo has been broken,” he said.
He added that similar disruptions had already occurred around Bab el-Mandeb, raising concerns that interference with international waterways could spread to other strategic routes if such actions become normalized.
Al Ansari identified the normalization of instability as one of the biggest risks, warning that the current crisis could increasingly be viewed as a permanent feature rather than a temporary emergency.
He said the situation surrounding the Strait of Hormuz should therefore be considered more than an economic concern, describing it as a wider threat to international security and the global economy.
Al Ansari also highlighted what he described as the resilience of Gulf countries during the crisis. He claimed that more than 90% of attacks directed at the Gulf had been deterred, while major disruptions to supply chains had been avoided.
He said Gulf states had not needed to use their reserves and had implemented measures to ensure energy and other essential commodities continued reaching international markets.
The Qatari official further urged Gulf countries to improve coordination in their international communications and “speak with one voice.”
The Hili Forum is taking place in Abu Dhabi under the theme Gulf at Crossroads: Conflict, Consequences and Course Correction, with the event jointly organized by the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research and the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy.
Speaking at the third Hili Forum in Abu Dhabi, Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari said recent events had challenged the long-standing perception of the Gulf as an “oasis of stability.”
“We cannot take for granted the fact that this region will be the oasis of stability. That is no longer the reality,” he said.
Al Ansari stressed that Gulf states should take all necessary steps to restore regional stability rather than accept the current conditions as permanent.
He also argued that mediation and potential agreements between Washington and Tehran would not provide a lasting resolution without stronger economic ties among regional countries.
“Any solution, any deal that is signed, any mediation that will take place, nothing will happen beyond freezing the conflict unless there is real economic interdependency in the region, where the decision to disrupt our economies means disrupting your economy,” he said.
According to Al Ansari, Gulf economies remain largely “siloed,” including those of countries that are allies or strategic partners. He called for deeper economic integration both within the Gulf and across the wider region.
Discussing the Strait of Hormuz, he pointed out that the vital waterway remained open even during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s. He warned that the current disruption had crossed a longstanding “taboo” against using major international waterways as tools of conflict.
“We might see it at a later stage in other straits around the world, in other waterways around the world, because the taboo has been broken,” he said.
He added that similar disruptions had already occurred around Bab el-Mandeb, raising concerns that interference with international waterways could spread to other strategic routes if such actions become normalized.
Al Ansari identified the normalization of instability as one of the biggest risks, warning that the current crisis could increasingly be viewed as a permanent feature rather than a temporary emergency.
He said the situation surrounding the Strait of Hormuz should therefore be considered more than an economic concern, describing it as a wider threat to international security and the global economy.
Al Ansari also highlighted what he described as the resilience of Gulf countries during the crisis. He claimed that more than 90% of attacks directed at the Gulf had been deterred, while major disruptions to supply chains had been avoided.
He said Gulf states had not needed to use their reserves and had implemented measures to ensure energy and other essential commodities continued reaching international markets.
The Qatari official further urged Gulf countries to improve coordination in their international communications and “speak with one voice.”
The Hili Forum is taking place in Abu Dhabi under the theme Gulf at Crossroads: Conflict, Consequences and Course Correction, with the event jointly organized by the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research and the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy.
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