Qatar says Iran strikes across Gulf have crossed ‘all red lines’
‘We have to make it clear that attacks will not go unanswered and cannot go unanswered’
Dubai: Iran’s expanding missile and drone campaign across the Gulf is testing the patience of Arab states, with Qatar warning that “all red lines have already been crossed” as Tehran’s retaliation against US-Israeli strikes begins spilling across the region.
Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari said attacks on infrastructure and residential areas were continuing, adding that while most missiles are intercepted, falling debris and drones are already causing deaths, fires and widespread disruption.
“All the red lines have already been crossed,” Al Ansari said at a press briefing on Tuesday. “The attacks on our sovereignty are constant.”
He said strikes had targeted key infrastructure and residential neighbourhoods, warning that Qatar’s leadership is weighing its response.
“When it comes to possible retaliation, all options are with our leadership,” he said. “But we have to make it very clear that attacks like these will not go unanswered and cannot go unanswered.”
Qatari authorities say fighter jets and integrated air-defence systems have intercepted multiple Iranian missiles and drones targeting the country’s airspace, part of what officials described as coordinated attacks across the Gulf.
Despite the interceptions, falling debris from destroyed missiles has caused injuries and limited damage in several areas. Qatar’s Interior Ministry said the number of injuries linked to the attacks had risen to 16, while emergency teams remain on high alert across the country.
Officials also confirmed that Iranian strikes targeted civilian infrastructure, including areas near key energy and transport facilities, forcing temporary disruptions and heightened security around strategic sites such as Hamad International Airport and industrial zones.
Across the Gulf, most Iranian missiles have been intercepted by air-defence systems. However, falling debris has sparked fires and casualties, while drones that slip through defences have disrupted airports, ports and commercial activity.
Analysts say Tehran’s strategy appears aimed at raising the cost of the war for Arab states in the hope they will pressure Washington to halt the conflict.
So far, Gulf governments have focused on defending their territory and have not allowed US forces to use their airspace or bases to launch attacks on Iran.
However, regional analysts warn that stance could shift if attacks intensify.
Spy cells busted
Earlier, Qatar said it had dismantled two spy cells linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards after several days of missile and drone strikes across the Gulf.
The state news agency reported that security forces arrested ten suspects, including seven accused of gathering intelligence on vital and military infrastructure and three allegedly tasked with sabotage operations.
Authorities said the suspects admitted links to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and said they had been instructed to carry out espionage and sabotage activities.
The escalation comes despite Qatar’s traditionally pragmatic relationship with Tehran. Doha has often maintained working ties with Iran and has repeatedly encouraged dialogue during regional crises, even serving as a diplomatic channel between Iran and Western powers.
But with attacks now hitting its territory, Qatar is facing growing pressure to move from mediation to defence as the war spreads across the Gulf.
Energy markets on edge
The attacks have also heightened concerns about the safety of the Gulf’s energy infrastructure, which supplies a large share of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas.
Qatar is one of the world’s biggest LNG exporters, and any disruption to its production or shipping routes could quickly ripple through global energy markets. Analysts warn that if the conflict begins to threaten energy facilities or shipping lanes near the Strait of Hormuz, it could trigger sharp spikes in oil and gas prices and further destabilise global trade.
