At the Qatar Economic Forum in New York on September 20, 2026, Qatar's Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, stressed the importance of Gulf states cooperating to restore stability in the region. He called for collective action to help find a settlement between the United States and Iran, hoping that the ongoing conflict serves as a "wake-up call" for regional responsibility.
Separately, Qatar's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Majed Al-Ansari, detailed Qatar's ongoing mediation efforts between the US and Iran. Mediators are actively shuttling between capitals and exchanging proposals to restart negotiations, with teams working "around the clock" to bridge remaining differences. Qatar's priorities include ending the conflict and restoring freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, with Al-Ansari warning against restrictions on international waterways due to the dangerous precedent they could set.
Also at the forum, Qatar's Energy Minister, Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, publicly disagreed with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's recent assertion that the strategic Strait of Hormuz would be "worthless in two years." Al-Kaabi stated that Bessent's view was "completely wrong" and reiterated that the Strait of Hormuz "cannot be obsolete." This discussion took place on the same day Bessent made his comments on September 1, 2026.
