Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari says Gulf states are committed to diplomatic solutions despite regional attacks, warning that unresolved crises and the failure to invest in peace could threaten international security.
Qatar has continued to pursue peace while rejecting attacks on its territory, Foreign Ministry spokesperson and Prime Minister’s adviser Majed Al Ansari said in an interview with Al Arabiya, stressing that diplomacy must remain central to resolving regional and international conflicts.
Al Ansari stressed that peace comes at a high cost and that Qatar has shouldered considerable responsibility in efforts to resolve crises, but this should not be interpreted as acceptance of attacks against the country.
“Peace is a very costly commodity, and someone must bear the cost of this peace,” Al Ansari said during the interview, adding that Qatar had borne significant costs from the outset of its efforts to achieve peace across various issues.
“But this does not mean in any way that we accept such attacks on our country,” he added.
Al Ansari said Qatar’s diplomatic efforts had continued alongside the work of the country’s armed forces and security institutions following the attacks. He said the diplomatic response was coordinated with the Qatari Armed Forces and the country’s security system to ensure the attacks were stopped and deterred and did not happen again. He also stressed the importance of ensuring clarity on the matter at the international level.
“Qatar continues its efforts for peace, regardless of anyone who tries to divert it from that path,” Al Ansari said. He added that Qatar’s leadership and officials had maintained a unified position on the country’s role in international peace efforts.
Addressing the wider regional situation, Al Ansari said current crises reflected the consequences of leaving longstanding problems unresolved. He said recent statements and positions from Gulf states had placed significant emphasis on rebuilding the regional security system, strengthening Gulf leadership and maintaining engagement with countries across the wider region and beyond.
“Today, we are reaping the consequences of others’ mistakes, in leaving many of these crises unaddressed,” Al Ansari said, warning that the situation should not be viewed as a temporary crisis that would eventually become a brief entry in history books. Instead, he said, the consequences extended to the region’s future and to international security and peace.
Al Ansari questioned whether the international community was adequately addressing the risks posed by multiple conflicts. Recalling a conversation with a colleague about how people living in 1941 did not realise they were in the second or third year of the Second World War until years later, he raised the possibility of a similar failure to recognise the scale of current events.
“So, is it possible that we are now in the first year of the Third World War?” he asked, adding that such a scenario could become a concern if the international community failed to address the crises confronting it.
He also pointed to what he described as a wider crisis in international peace efforts, arguing that the lack of comprehensive peace agreements over the past decade reflected a serious challenge to the international security system.
Al Ansari said global peace had been monopolised in a way that led other international parties to view it as belonging to particular actors, rather than being a shared responsibility.
Despite these concerns, Al Ansari said military action should not be seen as the only option for countries facing conflict. While acknowledging that military action could sometimes be necessary, he stressed that Qatar and other Gulf states remained committed to peace and diplomatic solutions.
“At no point can the only option available to the peoples of the region or the peoples of the world be the military option,” he said. “Yes, sometimes the military option is a necessary option. But our countries and the Gulf states are peace-loving countries.”
Al Ansari said Gulf states have played important mediation roles in crises across the world, including the Russian-Ukrainian war and conflicts in Latin America and Asia. He said Gulf involvement in diplomatic solutions and efforts to resolve crises peacefully remained evident in international affairs.
“The Gulf’s involvement and imprint in diplomatic solutions and resolving crises through peaceful means are always present,” he said.
He added that diplomacy remained the first choice when crises reached the Gulf’s doorstep, explaining that all Gulf states had engaged in diplomatic efforts even amid the current war.
“Undoubtedly, the first option is always to reach a diplomatic solution,” Al Ansari said.
His remarks underscored Qatar’s stated position that efforts to preserve peace must continue alongside measures to protect national sovereignty and security.
Al Ansari called for greater regional cooperation, stronger Gulf leadership, and sustained diplomatic engagement, warning that leaving crises unresolved could have consequences far beyond the immediate conflicts and affect the future of international peace and security.