Qatar emir urges diplomacy as Gulf faces ‘dangerous phase’

Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani warned the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday that the Gulf is experiencing “one of its most dangerous phases” amid the war between the The United States, Israel and Iran, while urging a return to diplomacy, Al Jazeera reported.

Sheikh Tamim said the crisis could be solved through negotiations and called for the Strait of Hormuz, an international waterway, to be reopened to maritime navigation.

“We remain deeply convinced … that the crisis in the Gulf can be resolved through diplomatic means by reopening the Strait of Hormuz to maritime navigation and returning to negotiations,” Sheikh Tamim said, according to Qatar News Agency.

A lasting solution, according to him, should ensure security and stability throughout the region, “including Iran,” while encouraging cooperation and non-interference in the internal affairs of States.

Sheikh Tamim blamed years of postponed diplomacy for the current crisis and called for a regional collective security system based on national sovereignty.

“In the absence of such a system, it has become possible for a war to erupt,” he said.

His remarks came as the conflict continued to threaten regional energy and trade routes, particularly the Strait of Hormuz.