Qatari Official Urges Continued Talks With Tehran and Rejects Strait of Hormuz Transit Fees

Qatar's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs, Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, said at the Doha Global Security Forum on Monday 19 October 2026 (27 Mehr 1405) that Qatar had maintained contact with Tehran despite their differences and supported continued dialogue towards a lasting agreement. He also rejected tolls on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, arguing that instability in the waterway would ultimately reach consumers worldwide.

The Qatari official warned that energy disruption from the war had not yet peaked and might intensify in the days and months ahead; this was his assessment, not a report of a newly measured supply interruption. He said Qatar was interested in expanding economic cooperation with Iran as well as strengthening regional defence cooperation, but did not name the partners in the proposed new defence arrangement.