Qatar's emir says Gulf waterway safety is everyone's stake

For the families and workers whose livelihoods depend on the smooth flow of gas out of the Gulf, the words from Qatar’s emir on Tuesday carried a familiar weight of anxiety and reassurance. Addressing the Shura Council, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani warned that the safety of ordinary people everywhere is bound up with the security of a single narrow waterway, and he urged greater collective effort to keep oil and gas moving through the Strait of Hormuz.

“Qatar supplies around one-fifth of global LNG trade, and anything that affects it is quickly reflected in markets and consumers everywhere,” the emir told the council. The point translates directly into household energy bills far from the Gulf. He cautioned that any disruption touching Qatar reverberates across international markets and to consumers around the world.

The crisis has already reached Qatar itself. QatarEnergy halted LNG production in early March after drone attacks struck energy facilities in Mesaieed and Ras Laffan, the world’s largest LNG export hub. Qatar’s Defence Ministry said two drones originating from Iran targeted the facilities. The emir acknowledged that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and direct damage to some energy facilities in Ras Laffan Industrial City had disrupted a significant portion of the country’s exports, though he noted the economic impact had been concentrated mainly in the energy sector.

Behind those disruptions stand workers and residents whose daily routines depend on facilities like Ras Laffan and Mesaieed, and on the shipping lanes that carry their output abroad. For them, the emir’s message carried a note of continuity: work on expanding Qatar’s North Field gas development is continuing as planned to increase the country’s LNG production capacity. He added that the Golden Pass LNG project in the United States had made significant progress, while QatarEnergy continued to expand its investments and international partnerships.

The emir said Qatar had shouldered three responsibilities during the crisis: protecting its sovereignty, fulfilling its role in global energy and economic security, and keeping diplomatic channels open. He described the country’s strategy as resting on four elements: defending the nation firmly without being drawn into war; maintaining public services, supply chains and economic activity; contributing to efforts to secure a ceasefire and reopen waterways; and encouraging negotiations to seek peaceful solutions.

Qatar, he said, had been attacked by Iran in a violation of its sovereignty and international law, and Qatari armed forces and security agencies had carried out their duty to defend the country. Yet he stressed that dialogue does not mean compromising on national defence, saying Qatar’s right to defend its sovereignty “does not conflict with our keenness to prevent the war from expanding.”

The human cost of the conflict has mounted since the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28. Tehran responded with missile and drone attacks across the region, effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, and Washington later imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports. Cross-border aerial attacks have targeted civilian infrastructure and airports, touching the lives of civilians on all sides. In response, the Gulf Cooperation Council has reinforced a collective security framework, saying the defence and stability of each member state are tied to the sovereignty of the wider bloc.

The security of the waterway itself remains unresolved. The United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding in June on freedom of navigation in the strait, but its implementation has stalled over disagreements related to security. Meanwhile, Tehran has threatened to target vessels using routes other than those designated by Iranian authorities, or attempting to cross the waterway without permission, leaving crews and shipping companies to navigate an increasingly dangerous passage.

Sheikh Tamim said Qatar had consistently favoured resolving disputes through dialogue, negotiation and diplomacy, arguing that recent developments had again demonstrated the interconnected nature of regional and global security. “We will continue working with our brothers and our international and regional partners to keep our region stable and secure,” he said, adding that the security, sovereignty and stability of GCC countries could not be compromised. Whether the stalled memorandum on the strait can be revived, and whether crews can soon sail without fear, remains the open question hanging over the region.