Qatar Warns Against 'Spoilers' of U.S.-Iran Deal, Emphasizes Importance of Hotline

Qatar, which mediated the end-of-war negotiations between the United States and Iran, has emphasized the importance of the direct communication "hotline" agreed upon by the two nations.

According to the Financial Times (FT) on June 23 (local time), Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani stated that the recently agreed-upon hotline between the U.S. and Iran will serve as a key mechanism to prevent misunderstandings and accidental clashes in the Strait of Hormuz.

In particular, Prime Minister Al Thani expressed caution regarding the possibility that certain factions might attempt to undermine the agreement between the two countries.

"In every conflict, there are those who do not want an agreement," he said, adding, "There could be attempts to sabotage the negotiations."

Prime Minister Al Thani explained that while some hardliners within Iran recently called for the re-closure of the Strait of Hormuz, citing the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, the reality was different.

"Mediators confirmed with Iranian authorities that no order to close the strait was issued," he said, noting that the Strait of Hormuz remains open.

Furthermore, Prime Minister Al Thani announced that Qatar's liquefied natural gas (LNG) production, the second-largest in the world, is expected to return to normal levels within a few weeks.

He stated that despite damage to some production facilities, they are prepared to restore operations to normal as soon as the situation in the strait stabilizes.

Early in the war, some parts of the Ras Laffan Industrial City, the world's largest LNG hub, were damaged in Qatar.

Notably, an internal explosion and fire occurred recently while preparing to restart the Ras Laffan industrial complex, resulting in over 10 deaths.

Prime Minister Al Thani projected that the aftermath of the war would be difficult to resolve in the short term.

He said that supply shortages of petrochemical products and helium would continue for the next several months.

He also predicted that the impact of the Strait of Hormuz closure would begin to manifest in earnest starting in September or October.

While expressing hope that the number of vessels passing through the strait would return to pre-war levels in about a month, he pointed out, "It takes time to rebuild trust. It cannot be normalized overnight, and it will require significant effort."
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.