Qatar alleges Iran's protection against UAE ‘attack’, Iran denies

CAIRO – 17 November 2017: Qatar’s media outlets assumed that the country may be raided in a military attack by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), alleging that Iranian warships arrived to Doha’s coasts in order to protect Qatar in accordance with the security and defense agreements signed between the two countries.

However, Iranian media outlets denied reports of sending warships to protect Qatar, assuring that the news is completely groundless; adding that it is difficult for Iran to establish a military base in Qatar as long as there is already a large U.S. military base.

An opposition source commented on these allegations suggesting that Doha is trying to blackmail the U.S. by hinting that if the U.S. moves its base from Qatar, Iran will replace it with its base.

On October, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif visited Doha amid Qatar-Gulf crisis and met Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani. The visit was the Iranian diplomat's first trip to Doha since the start of a five-month blockade against Qatar.

According to Qatari state media, Zarif and Al-Thani's discussions centered on the blockade and what could be done to ease the region's tensions.

The boycott led by the four Arab countries, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the UAE, was launched in part because of Qatar's relationship with Iran as well as Qatar’s hostile policy against Arab countries.

On June 5, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Libya and Yemen decided to cut all diplomatic ties with Qatar, hurling allegations that the state supports terrorism. Ports and airspaces were cut off to Qatari vessels. Since then, Kuwait has played the role of mediator to put an end to this rift. Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson held several meetings with the disputed parties, but the discussions have not yet led to a settlement.

The Arab countries listed 13 demands to be met by Qatar, including severing ties with terrorist groups, closing down the pan-Arab Al-Jazeera satellite channel, downgrading ties with arch-rival Iran and the closure of the Turkish air base in Qatar.

With the passing of nearly five months of the Arab crisis with Doha, the tiny Gulf emirate of Qatar insisted on its stubborn policy of strengthening relations with Iran and Turkey.

Qatar ignores the demands set by the Arab countries, which include downgrading diplomatic ties with Iran and closing a Turkish airbase in Qatar.