Putin, Qatar Emir hope for de-escalation in Middle East

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani have expressed hope for a speedy de-escalation of the conflict in the Middle East in a telephone conversation, the Kremlin’s press service reported.

"Mutual hope was expressed for a speedy de-escalation of the conflict and a return to political and diplomatic methods of settling differences based on the principles of mutual respect and equality," the report said. The sides also agreed to continue contacts between themselves through various channels.

The United States and Israel launched a large-scale military operation against Iran on 28 February. Major Iranian cities, including Tehran, were struck. The White House justified the attack by citing alleged missile and nuclear threats from Iran.

At the same time, US leadership openly called on the Iranian population to rise up against their government and seize power. As a result of the strikes, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and several other senior figures in the leadership of the Islamic Republic were killed.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a retaliatory operation, targeting sites in Israel. US military bases in Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia were also hit.