âť“WHAT HAPPENED: An Iranian lawmaker urged Qatar to expel U.S. forces and allow Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) to deploy missiles on its territory, following an Israeli strike on the Qatari capital of Doha.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Iranian lawmaker Mojtaba Zarei, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the U.S. military, and Israel.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The statement was made on Thursday, following the Israeli strike in Doha earlier in the week.
đź’¬KEY QUOTE: “I propose that the U.S. Army, accomplice of Israel, be expelled from Qatar, and that the Revolutionary Guard aerospace force deploy Fattah hypersonic missiles on your soil to defend your sovereignty,” Zarei stated.
🎯IMPACT: The proposal highlights growing tensions in the Gulf region amid expanding Israeli military operations, and Iran’s push to expand its military influence.
Iran is urging Qatar to expel American military forces from Al Udeid Air Base—a regional command hub for U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM)—and instead allow Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to deploy missiles in the country. The move, ostensibly in response to Israel’s recent strike on the Qatari capital of Doha targeting leaders of the Hamas terrorist group, is unlikely to receive much serious consideration from Qatar’s government.
The Israeli strike on Tuesday killed a Qatari security officer and several Hamas members. Iran has accused the U.S. of complicity in the attack, putting Qatar in a precarious position. However, Iran also attacked Qatar earlier this year with missiles, after the United States bombed and destroyed several Iranian nuclear program facilities. Notably, the Iranian missiles were easily intercepted by U.S. air defenses in Qatar.
Mojtaba Zarei, an Iranian lawmaker, addressed Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in a statement on X (formerly Twitter). “I propose that the U.S. Army, accomplice of Israel, be expelled from Qatar, and that the Revolutionary Guard aerospace force deploy Fattah hypersonic missiles on your soil to defend your sovereignty,” he wrote in Farsi. Zarei also suggested that the emir should request support from the Revolutionary Guard in Qatar.
Iran’s armed forces have accused the U.S. of backing Israel’s actions, with Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi stating, “The Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will never hesitate to support our Qatari brothers.” However, U.S. President Donald J. Trump has clarified, “This was a decision made by Prime Minister Netanyahu; it was not a decision made by me,” and come out strongly against the attack.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed Israel’s sole responsibility for the operation.
Image by Fars Media Corporation.
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