Tamim had intentions of leaving GCC: Ex-Iranian Ambassador

CAIRO – 27 August 2017: The former Iranian Ambassador to Qatar, Abdallah Suhrabi, announced that Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani had intentions of withdrawing from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

According to Jame Jam Online, the Ambassador went on to explain that Al-Thani has been considering the decision since the Qatari Crisis spiked and severe sanctions were imposed, but his advisors were able to halt him and asked him to think it over first.

Suhrabi elaborated further that the resumption of the Qatari embassy’s work in Iran is within a framework of creating stability, and that one of the connections between both states is built upon creating a secure economy and settling the problems of Qatar.

The former Ambassador went on to describe the move of returning the Qatari ambassador to Iran as constructive – reassuring that this will not be the last constructive move Qatar makes in order to solidify the relations between Iran and Qatar.

Suhrabi also revealed that Iran has sent to Qatar 100 cargos to meet the needs of the Qatari, adding that Iran on a daily average sends goods estimated at 1,000 – 1,200 tons, from various ports including Bushehr, Kannjan and Genoa port.

During his recent trip to Doha, Suhrabi revealed that Doha asked Iran to buy 4,000 kinds of goods, and his country obtained permission to launch an exhibition of Iranian food commodities in Doha.

Abdallah Suhrabi, occupied office as an ambassador from 2012 until 2016, and is considered one of the prominent godfathers of suspicious Irani-Qatari relations, according to Gulf reports. Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani followed his suit when he was still the crown prince of the Qatar.

In coordination, the Deputy Commander of the Qatari Navy Fleet Brigadier Ziad Abdul Rahman Al-Sulaiti and Suhrabi organized the visit of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard ships to the ports of Doha, 54 days before the outbreak of the February 14, 2011 protests in Bahrain. It was revealed through Iran and Gulf reports that the Iranian Foreign Minister had commissioned Suhrabi’s coordination with the Qatari government in Bahrain.

On July 17, at the Chatham House thinktank in London, the United Arab Emirates’ Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash stated, “You cannot be part of a regional organization dedicated to strengthening mutual security and furthering mutual interests [GCC] and at the same time undermine that security... You cannot be both our friend and a friend of Al Qaeda,” Forbes reported.

On June 5, several countries, including Egypt, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, severed diplomatic ties with Qatar over backing and funding terrorist groups.

On June 23, the four Arab countries requested 13 demands from Qatar, which were presented by Kuwait, the mediator in the crisis. The demands included that Qatar shut down Al Jazeera TV network, cut diplomatic ties with Iran, stop financing and supporting terror groups, including the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, and end Turkey's military presence in Doha.