In a significant diplomatic development, Qatar has formally confirmed that Iran’s defensive military operations against American forces were precisely directed at US military installations, with no civilian areas affected, according to an official document submitted to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei highlighted the Qatari contribution to an ITU Council extraordinary session on Thursday, which stated that Iran’s strikes “were directed towards US military facilities. […] No civilian areas have been targeted.”
The Qatari document, prepared as a comprehensive safety and security risk assessment, noted that “almost all of the attacks were directed towards US military facilities, with the one exception of an attack against the gas facilities at Ras Laffan on 18th March.” The assessment further characterized the current risk to Qatar’s security from ongoing operations as low.
Baghaei was quick to contextualize the sole exception cited by Doha, emphasizing that “the facilities struck that day were serving US military aggression against Iran.”
Stark Contrast in Military Conduct
The Iranian spokesman drew a sharp distinction between Tehran’s approach to targeting and Washington’s historical record of military operations. “This stands in stark contrast to the United States’ long record of deliberate attacks on civilian targets – schools, hospitals, residential neighborhoods, wedding ceremonies, bridges, and more,” Baghaei stated.
He further underscored what he described as “a vast difference between a civilized nation that has learned the importance of adhering to moral and humanitarian principles even under the most distressing circumstances, and warmongering rulers who observe no rule of law or ethics in their projection of power.”
Self-Defense Amid Regional Tensions
The Qatari confirmation comes as Iran continues to exercise what it characterizes as its inherent right to self-defense against what Tehran describes as Washington’s “unprovoked war of aggression,” conducted with Israeli participation.
Iranian armed forces have executed precise retaliatory strikes against US military bases and assets across the region that have been used to attack Iranian territory, including installations in Qatar. Tehran has repeatedly maintained that its operations exclusively target military objectives of the aggressor and pose no threat to neighboring countries or their civilian populations.
Diplomatic Balancing Act
Despite the military operations, Iranian officials have emphasized the brotherly ties with Qatar while simultaneously reserving the right to respond to any use of Qatari territory or airspace for attacks on Iran.
The latest US assaults have reportedly included strikes on civilian gatherings inside Iran, with Foreign Ministry officials describing a recent American attack on a wedding ceremony in Sirik as a war crime and evidence of Washington’s moral decline.
Iranian officials have consistently highlighted that the Islamic Republic’s forces distinguish between military targets and civilians, in line with international humanitarian law and Islamic principles – a practice they contrast with what they describe as the United States’ documented history of bombing civilian infrastructure and gatherings from Afghanistan to Yemen and now within Iran itself.
The Qatari assessment adds a layer of international verification to Iran’s claims of surgical precision in its defensive operations, potentially complicating Washington’s narrative regarding the nature and scope of Iranian military responses in the region.
Source: Iranian media (edite dby Al-Manar)