Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani issued a stark warning to Tehran on Tuesday, urging Iran not to turn the Strait of Hormuz into an instrument of coercion against its Gulf neighbours. Speaking alongside Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Doha, Al Thani told reporters that “Iran should not use this strait as a weapon to pressure or to blackmail the Gulf countries.”
“It's an international water corridor that should be always protected and should be always safeguarded,” he added. “This current state of the strait and what's happening over there should never be repeated.”
Fidan reinforced the message, stressing the strait's global importance. “Preventing the Strait of Hormuz from being used as a weapon is extremely important not only for regional security and stability but also for the global economy,” he said. The waterway carries roughly a fifth of the world's oil and gas supplies, making its disruption a matter of concern far beyond the Gulf.
Diplomatic push for a ceasefire
Both Doha and Ankara are backing mediation efforts led by Pakistan to broker a ceasefire between the United States and Iran. The conflict, which began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran on 28 February and escalated into daily Iranian missile and drone attacks on neighbouring countries, has raised fears of a broader regional war. A fragile ceasefire took effect on 8 April through Islamabad's mediation, but talks have stalled in recent days.
“Qatar and Turkey jointly support … the efforts undertaken by our brotherly nation of Pakistan to find a solution to this war, reach a ceasefire agreement, end the war as soon as possible, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and allow freedom of navigation to return to normal once again,” Al Thani said.
The two countries also condemned attacks on commercial vessels as violations of international law, warning against “any unilateral measures” that could threaten maritime security in the Gulf. Such attacks have already sent oil prices sharply higher and disrupted global supply chains, with global shipping routes being rerouted as a result of the crisis.
“Continuation of diplomacy is the only way forward,” Al Thani insisted.
Washington and Tehran at odds
Al Thani revealed that he had travelled to Washington two days earlier to press for support for the peace initiative and to warn US officials about the consequences of prolonging the war. “My visit to the United States focused mainly on supporting the Pakistani efforts and ensuring there is positive engagement with these diplomatic efforts to reach a solution as quickly as possible,” he said. He explained to US officials “the impact this war has unfortunately had on the region and that prolonging it will not be in the interest of anyone in the region or the world.”
Fidan noted that both Washington and Tehran appear willing to end the war but remain divided over the framing of a potential agreement. “Both parties want the war to stop. They want the Strait of Hormuz to be opened, and they want the nuclear files to be resolved in some way,” the Turkish foreign minister said. “Now the problem is how can we find a solution with the right prioritisation and wording so that both sides can accept it.”
The diplomatic push comes as US President Donald Trump rejected Iran's latest response to Washington's ceasefire proposal as “totally unacceptable”. Iranian state-run media reported that Tehran had demanded full sovereignty over Hormuz, an end to sanctions, and compensation for war damages, while warning it would respond militarily to any renewed US strikes. The standoff has fuelled fears of further disruption in the Gulf, with Saudi Aramco's profits surging as oil flows through the strait remain constrained.
For European observers, the crisis carries direct implications. The European Union has already seen safety warnings from the European Aviation Safety Agency over potential jet fuel shortages, and the broader economic fallout threatens to compound existing pressures on the continent's energy markets. As the conflict drags on, the risk of a wider conflagration—and the weaponisation of one of the world's most strategic waterways—remains a pressing concern for capitals from London to Berlin.
