Qatar “reserves the right to retaliate” against Iran after its “blatant attack” on Qatar’s people, foreign ministry spokesperson Majid al-Ansari said, adding that Iranian strikes “cannot go unanswered” and that “a price has to be paid.”
Doha is not in contact with Iran’s government as it focuses on defending the country and protecting key infrastructure, al-Ansari told CNN’s Becky Anderson on Monday.
“As of this moment, we are not engaging with government. We are busy, as you might imagine, defending our country,” he said.
He added that Qatar has faced “more than 100 missiles and scores of drones,” and said the strikes were “targeting also civilian and commercial infrastructure.”
Asked about the risk to Gulf energy facilities after Saudi Arabia intercepted drones near an oil refinery, al-Ansari said Qatar was “gravely concerned” by attacks on non-military targets across the region.
He said Qatar’s military has taken precautions to defend onshore and offshore economic facilities while Gulf leaders coordinate closely with each other and the United States.
Qatar is one of the world’s biggest gas exporters.
