DOHA: Qatar's prime minister said on Tuesday relations with Iran have been scarred by an Iranian missile volley at a US air base in the Gulf Arab state, but that he hoped ties would eventually "come back to normal". Iran responded to US participation in Israel's air war against Iran by firing missiles on Monday at the Al Udeid Air Base, but no one was hurt after Tehran gave advance warning, and a ceasefire was announced hours later by Washington.
Qatar, situated just across the Gulf from Iran, has often acted as a mediator in regional conflicts, including between Iran and the United States and between Israel and Hamas in the continuing Gaza war. "What happened will definitely have its scar on the relationship (with Iran), but I hope by the time everyone learns the lesson that this kind of neighbourhood relationship should not be violated and should not be undermined," Qatar's prime minister, Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al Thani, told a press conference with his Lebanese counterpart in Doha. "The partnership between Qatar and the US is just growing stronger... and I hope the good relationship with Iran comes back to normal as soon as possible," he said.
Al Thani added that Qatar had liaised with Iran at Washington's request to help facilitate the ceasefire. "We hope the ceasefire will continue as agreed upon, and we urge both the US and Iran to return to the negotiating table with the aim of reaching a comprehensive diplomatic solution, something that Qatar has consistently sought," he said. He added that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed regret in a phone call with Qatar's ruling Emir Shaikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani that Tehran's target in retaliating for US air strikes was a military base in Qatar.
Operations at two of the world's busiest airports in Doha and Dubai slowed to a crawl on Tuesday as thousands of travellers queued for hours, facing long delays and flight cancellations after the temporary closure of airspace a day earlier. Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait shut their airspace late on Monday after Iran's strike on a US military base in Qatar's capital Doha, forcing airlines to cancel or reroute hundreds of flights and creating a backlog of stranded passengers.
Lines were so long that arguments broke out as some passengers jumped queues, according to a witness. Around 250 flights were cancelled at Hamad airport, while another 238 were delayed, according to flight tracking website FlightRadar24. Qatar Airways said it was "making progress in restoring its schedule" with possible disruptions until June 26. Air India said on Tuesday it would resume those flights as soon as airspaces reopen, while other carriers such as flydubai warned that delays would persist due to airspace congestion. — Reuters
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