Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani called on Tuesday, 22 September 2026, for the current regional crisis to be addressed through diplomatic means, the Strait of Hormuz to be opened to shipping, and negotiations to resume, leading to a lasting solution that ensures security and stability for all the region’s countries, including Iran.
Tamim calls for diplomacy and reopening of Strait of Hormuz
Speaking before the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, Sheikh Tamim said the Gulf region was going through one of its most dangerous periods. He said the current crisis had not emerged suddenly, but had resulted from years of postponement and crisis management through temporary solutions and policies he described as unrealistic.
He said Qatar viewed dialogue and negotiations as the route to resolving disputes and reaching fair settlements based on international law and respecting the sovereignty of states and the rights of peoples. He added that his country had continued to act as a mediator and facilitator of peace, repeatedly warning that the passage of time did not resolve outstanding disputes in the absence of a fair settlement, but instead increased their cost.
Qatar proposes collective security system in Gulf
Qatar’s emir said the core of the dangerous situation facing the region was the absence of a regional collective security system based on respect for the sovereignty, safety and territorial integrity of states, encouraging the peaceful settlement of disputes and rejecting interference in states’ internal affairs.
He renewed his call for the system to be established, saying recent events had demonstrated the urgent need for it amid the possibility of a war breaking out based on considerations unrelated to the interests of the region’s countries. He warned against dragging neighbouring countries into wars in which they were not parties and targeting their resources and vital facilities, alongside the closure of an international waterway through which around a quarter of global energy trade passes.
Sheikh Tamim said turning the arteries of the global economy into tools of pressure and bargaining imposed the consequences of conflicts on people across different continents. He noted that the crisis had driven up food and medicine prices and affected the livelihoods of peoples with no connection to the conflict.
Qatar’s emir criticises humanitarian situation in Gaza
On the Palestinian issue, Qatar’s emir said it was impossible to speak of a just international order as long as Palestine remained “a blind spot in it”. He described what had happened in Gaza as genocide and criticised the level of the international response aimed at ending what he called the continuing catastrophe.
He added that Israeli leaders had begun declaring that the displacement of the population was the most appropriate solution. He criticised what he described as attempts to explain global rejection of Israeli practices through accusations of antisemitism or reliance on conspiracy theories. He stressed that Qatar had not halted, from the first day, its mediation efforts aimed at stopping the bloodshed, easing civilians’ suffering and securing the release of prisoners and detainees. He said these efforts were continuing to consolidate the ceasefire and move from it towards lasting peace.
He called on Israel to fulfil its commitments, including a final halt to operations, withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, lifting the blockade and allowing humanitarian aid to enter without conditions. He also referred to the Palestinian factions’ approval of arrangements for collecting weapons in accordance with the agreement.
Qatar criticises Israeli actions in neighbouring countries
Qatar’s emir addressed the situation in the West Bank, condemning what he described as the continued persecution and apartheid, settler terrorism and the desecration of Islamic and Christian holy sites, foremost among them Al-Aqsa Mosque. He stressed the Palestinian people’s right to establish an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital. Sheikh Tamim criticised Israeli attacks on neighbouring countries, noting their recurrence in Syria and the control by Israeli forces of additional territory there.
He also spoke of the failure to honour understandings with Lebanon, the continued presence of Israeli forces on Lebanese territory and the destruction of villages in southern Lebanon. He said the international community’s handling of Israel and its ability to restrain its conduct represented a genuine test of the seriousness of its commitment to upholding the rule of law.
He added that the law must be applied equally to everyone, otherwise it lost its meaning when applied to the weak while the powerful were exempted. Qatar’s emir affirmed his country’s support for Syria during its recovery and reconstruction, along with support for Syrian state institutions, sovereignty, independence and national and territorial unity.
On Sudan, he called for inclusive dialogue leading to lasting peace and preserving Sudan’s unity and sovereignty. He also announced support for the political process, reconciliation and the unification of state institutions in Libya. Qatar’s support for Somalia’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity was renewed, and he affirmed support for Lebanese state institutions and their sovereignty over the country’s entire territory.
He condemned Israeli attacks on Lebanon, calling for compliance with the ceasefire and United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701. On Yemen, Sheikh Tamim affirmed support for United Nations-led efforts to reach a comprehensive political settlement that preserves the country’s unity and sovereignty and achieves security and stability.
He said Qatari foreign policy was based on protecting vital interests, mediation, facilitating dialogue and humanitarian action, and adopting positions consistent with international law and international legitimacy. Qatar’s emir also noted Doha’s readiness to host the fourth Global Disability Summit in 2028 and its hosting of the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2027, as well as work to expand the United Nations House in Doha.
He concluded by stressing that peaceful coexistence and dialogue were not options among multiple alternatives, but the only path that left neither a victor nor a defeated party, renewing Qatar’s commitment to the United Nations Charter and its purposes and its continued pursuit of peace and efforts to facilitate its achievement.
