UPDATED: Qatar declares Iranian embassy’s military, security attaches persona non grata

Qatar has declared military and security attaches at the Iranian embassy in Doha, alongside their staff, persona non grata.

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Qatar’s foreign ministry, in a statement on Wednesday evening, demanded that the officials leave Qatar within 24 hours.

Qatar said its decision was a result of Iran’s repeated attacks on Qatar.

PREMIUM TIMES reports that the latest Iranian attack on Qatar targeted the latter’s largest gas field.

QatarEnergy said the Ras Laffan Industrial City was targeted with missiles that caused widespread fires and extensive damage.

The site was earlier evacuated after Iran said it would target the facility and four others across the Middle East, in retaliation for Israeli and American attacks on its gas fields.

Iran has targeted American interests in the Gulf since the US and Israel launched an unprovoked attack on Iran.

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Qatar, like other Gulf states, reported intercepting large numbers of Iranian missiles and drones since the war began. It claimed many were successfully neutralised. However, some projectiles have evaded interception, causing damage across Qatar.

In its statement, the Qatari Foreign Ministry said it has delivered an official letter to the Iranian Embassy in Qatar to notify it of the decision.

“Qatar considers both the military attache and the security attache at the embassy, in addition to the staff of the two attache offices, persona non grata.

The state has also threatened to take “additional measures” should Iran continue to attack its territory.

These measures, it noted, will be “in a manner that ensures the protection of its sovereignty, security, and national interests.”

It reiterated that “the State of Qatar reserves the right to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty and security, in accordance with the provisions of international law.”

Iran escalated attacks on the Gulf on Wednesday after two of its top officials — the leader of the Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, and the commander of the internal Basij militia, Gholamreza Soleimani — were killed.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates have all reported intercepting drones and missiles as Iran intensifies attacks on US facilities in these countries.

Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, earlier s aid US military bases in the Gulf countries are a legitimate target.

He said that the country was only at war with the US and Israel and asked the Gulf States to pressure the US to end the attack on Iran.

“We’re not attacking our neighbours, we’re attacking US military bases. US soldiers fleeing to hotels will not prevent them from being targeted,” he said.