Qatar PM describes fallout of US-Israel war on Iran as ‘earthquake’

Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani has called on states to respect sovereignty as a condition for security in the Middle East, warning against "cycles of escalation" after "an earthquake" caused by the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Key points

• The PM additionally outlined a domestic shift in Qatar's investment strategy by pledging more than $38bn in spending on Qatari infrastructure over the next five years.
• "Permanent security cannot be built through arrangements that leave any state permanently exposed to insecurity, " Sheikh Mohammed remarked.
• The situation in the Middle East and its global ramifications are projected to be high on the agenda during speeches and diplomacy.
• During the crisis, almost every conversation began with security and de-escalation, then turn to energy supplies, shipping routes, and with our investments, intends will continue.
• The UNGA starts on Monday and ends on Friday.

For context, the region needs a "framework in which sovereignty is respected" and no state can pose a "threat to another", Sheikh Mohammed remarked on Sunday at the opening of the Qatar Economic Forum's UN General Assembly-adjacent event in New York City.

Sheikh Mohammed – who is additionally Qatar's foreign minister – described the economic fallout from the US-Israel war on Iran as "an earthquake" with "its shock waves" reaching far beyond the borders of the Middle East, "challenging assumptions about security and stability".

"During the crisis, almost every conversation began with security and de-escalation, then turn to energy supplies, shipping routes, and with our investments, intends will continue. These were different expressions of the same question. When so much is being disrupted, what can still be relied upon?"

He remarked that Qatar has weathered the test to the "foundations" of the country's economy and security, but acknowledged that the ongoing conflict in the region is having an impact.

"Permanent security cannot be built through arrangements that leave any state permanently exposed to insecurity, " Sheikh Mohammed remarked. "We must address the sources of tensions and build confidence."

Reporting from New York, Al Jazeera's Kristen Saloomey remarked that message "no doubt will be repeated" when Gulf leaders meet US President Donald Trump on Tuesday during the UN General Assembly. Qatar's $38bn domestic investments.

Meanwhile, the PM additionally outlined a domestic shift in Qatar's investment strategy by pledging more than $38bn in spending on Qatari infrastructure over the next five years.

While the PM is nonetheless acknowledging that the ongoing conflict is "having an impact on the region", "That's meant to attract private investors and send a message of Qatar's resilience, " Saloomey remarked. The UNGA starts on Monday and ends on Friday.

Meanwhile, the situation in the Middle East and its global ramifications are projected to be high on the agenda during speeches and diplomacy.

Additionally on Sunday, Qatar's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Majed Al-Ansari, informed US media in New York that the mediation efforts by his administration are ongoing to restart negotiations between Tehran and Washington to end the US-Israel war on Iran.

Taken together, the developments around qatar PM describes fallout of US-Israel war on Iran as 'earthquake' point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.