Renewed military hostilities between the U.S. and Iran are jeopardizing the integrity of the 14-point memorandum of understanding (MOU) established by regional nations last month. Majed al-Ansari, a senior adviser to Qatar’s prime minister and spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated on Thursday that while Doha hopes the fighting will not dismantle the agreement entirely, the recent escalation has placed many agreed-upon elements in question.
Speaking at the Chatham House 2026 conference in London, Ansari described the atmosphere of the past 48 hours as “quite tense.” He highlighted that the return of reciprocal strikes has effectively caused navigation through the Strait of Hormuz to grind to a halt. In response to the situation, Ansari urged all involved parties to exercise restraint and allow more time for ongoing diplomatic efforts.
The current conflict follows U.S. Central Command’s launch of over 170 strikes against Iranian targets over the last two days. The U.S. military action was a response to alleged Iranian attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, including an assault on the Qatari liquid natural gas tanker, the Al-Rekayyat. Tehran has denied these allegations. In retaliation, the Iranian military claimed to have targeted U.S. facilities in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar, though Ansari dismissed the claims regarding attacks on Qatari soil as unfounded, noting that while there were “pass overs,” no targets were hit in Qatar.
President Donald Trump recently suggested that the MOU was effectively “over,” referring to Iranian leadership as “scum” and warning of potential military intensification. Despite these remarks, Ansari maintained that Doha and all involved parties remain committed to the dialogue. He acknowledged that the current situation is not where they hoped to be, but emphasized that talks have not broken down, even if ground-level escalation complicates diplomatic progress.
The MOU, brokered in June with significant support from Qatar and Pakistan, was designed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, end the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports, and address nuclear and sanctions-related tracks. Ansari stressed that the focus must remain on a diplomatic resolution to pave the way for sustainable peace rather than mere lulls between attacks. While he noted that Qatar is prepared for potential conflict and reserves the right to retaliate, he clarified that the nation has not participated in any attacks against Iran or neighboring countries, reiterating that no nation can withstand a permanent military conflict in such a small region.
