From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, March 3, 2026
Qatar: We are not in contact with Iran; its attempts to pressure Gulf states to end war will fail
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleLazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
There is currently no communication between Qatar and Iran, Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari says in a press conference, and the Islamic Republic did not notify Qatar ahead of missile and drone strikes.
Ansari says that attempts to force a return to negotiations by pressuring Gulf countries will fail. Experts believe that Iran’s strategy is to hammer US allies in the region so that they push US President Donald Trump to return to talks with Iran.
Iran has tried but failed to target Hamad International Airport in Doha, says Ansari, and all attempts were intercepted.
He says that the two Iranian planes shot down by Qatar yesterday were flying toward Doha and were warned before being shot down. Qatar is searching for the pilots, he says.
The Times of Israel Community.