\n<\/p>\n
Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs stated that \u201cevidence on the ground\u201d disproved the Iranian claim and decried the strikes as a \u201cflagrant violation\u201d of Qatar\u2019s sovereignty.<\/p>\n
Qatar<\/a> categorically rejected on Wednesday an Iranian claim that recent missile attacks<\/a> were not intentionally directed towards Qatar and accused Iran of trying to drag the Gulf state into a war.<\/p>\n Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani stated that \u201cevidence on the ground\u201d disproved the Iranian claim, according to a statement released by the Qatari Foreign Affairs Ministry on X\/Twitter.<\/p>\n The statement came after al-Thani spoke on the phone with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, during which Araghchi claimed that the missile strikes were \u201cdirected at American interests and were not intended to target the Gulf state.\u201d<\/p>\n Al-Thani decried the strikes as a \u201cflagrant violation\u201d of Qatar\u2019s sovereignty and international law, citing the fact that the Iranian attacks were aimed at Doha\u2019s Hamad International Airport, civilian areas, vital infrastructure, and industrial zones.<\/p>\n Al-Thani additionally disputed Araghchi\u2019s assertion that the attacks were just missile strikes.<\/p>\n In addition to missiles, Qatar was also targeted by drones and Iranian fighter jets entering Qatari airspace. Two Iranian Su-24 fighter jets<\/a> were shot down on Monday, according to the Qatari defense ministry.<\/p>\n Al-Thani asserted that Iran\u2019s actions and denials do not \u201cindicate any genuine desire for de-escalation or resolution\u201d and reflect “an escalatory approach.\u201d<\/p>\n He further accused Iran of intentionally seeking to harm its neighbors and draw them into a war “that is not theirs.\u201d<\/p>\n