Qatar warns Iran war is straining the global economy as mediation continues

Qatar has warned that the Iran war is placing an unbearable strain on the global economy, as Doha says it is continuing efforts to mediate between Washington and Tehran. The warning came during a press briefing in Doha on Tuesday, where the foreign ministry said talks and message-passing had continued in recent days. Qatar said it was still trying to bridge the gap between the two sides despite the conflict and the wider regional fallout.

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Foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari said the question was how long the international economy could withstand the effects of the war in the region. He said meetings had taken place in recent days, but declined to say how far the negotiations had progressed. Al Ansari said Qatar was passing messages between the parties and trying to overcome the difficulties that stand in the way of an agreement.

He added that another escalation would bring more hardship to the region. Al Ansari said Qatar remained in contact with Iran even after being hit by missiles from Iran, and said Doha was still pressing for a peaceful resolution. He said the Gulf states, Iraq and Jordan had not chosen to take part in the war between Iran and the US, and argued they had no separate conflict with Tehran to settle.

He described the attacks on neighbouring countries as aggression and said Iran needed to make clear it would not attack neighbours caught up in a war they had not joined. The comments underline the economic stakes of the conflict beyond the battlefield. Al Ansari said a lasting settlement would require regional security arrangements based on coexistence and non-aggression, and said Doha was also trying to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to free navigation.

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He said the Gulf exported far more than oil and gas, including urea, ammonia, helium, petrochemicals and aluminium, and warned that disruption could affect crop yields in vulnerable countries and increase coal burning elsewhere. He also said the strain could worsen as winter approaches. The remarks come against the backdrop of severe disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for Gulf exports.

Qatar has repeatedly said it wants full freedom of navigation restored as part of any peace deal between Washington and Tehran. That position reflects the wider concern among Gulf states that continued conflict could damage trade, energy flows and regional security even for countries not directly involved in the fighting. What remains unclear is how advanced the mediation effort is and whether the recent meetings have produced any concrete movement toward an agreement.

Qatar did not give details of the messages exchanged or the obstacles still blocking progress. The next developments to watch are whether talks continue in the coming days, whether shipping conditions improve, and whether either side signals a willingness to narrow the gap.

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