Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani warns US over strikes in Yemen

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani. AFP File Photo

Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has expressed concerns over recent US-led strikes on Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, advocating for diplomatic solutions instead of military actions to de-escalate conflicts in the Middle East.

Al Thani emphasized the potential for increased divisions and tensions in the region, particularly in relation to the Israel-Gaza conflict.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, he urged leaders to prioritize addressing the situation in Gaza, emphasizing diplomacy over military resolutions to diffuse broader regional conflicts. Al Thani also highlighted the global implications of strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, calling it a "global issue" affecting the freedom of navigation.

The Qatari Prime Minister expressed concerns about the risk of escalation, characterizing the regional situation as a "recipe for escalation everywhere."

"We always prefer diplomacy over any military resolutions, and we believe that we shouldn't just focus on those small conflicts, we should focus on the main conflict in Gaza and as soon it's diffused, I believe that everything else will be diffused," the Qatari prime minister said at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Regarding the strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, Al Thani called its impact on the freedom of navigation "a global issue." He expressed concerns about the potential for escalation in the region, characterizing it as a "recipe of escalation everywhere." "What we have in the region is a recipe of escalation everywhere," he added.

The Red Sea holds strategic importance for Qatar, a major exporter of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). The Houthis, an Iran-backed Shia political and military group, have been targeting commercial shipping vessels in the Red Sea since November.

In response to recent strikes by the US and UK against Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, Al Thani noted the severity of the actions, marking a significant response from the Biden administration. The strikes were prompted by Houthi attacks on the Red Sea.

The Houthis claim that their attacks are a show of solidarity with the Palestinian people and assert that they will continue until Israel allows the entry of food and medicine into Gaza. Some speculate that the strikes on Houthi targets aim to exert economic pressure on Israel's allies, encouraging them to influence a cessation of Israel's military offensive in Gaza. (With inputs from ANI)