Qatar calls for regional security framework with Iran after 'wake-up call'

Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani called Sunday for a regional security framework bringing Gulf countries and Iran together, saying the recent war should serve as a "wake-up call" for the region.

"We are hoping that this war is a wake-up call for everyone that it's time for it to happen," Al Thani said, speaking at the Qatar Economic Forum on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York.

He also noted that the recent regional crisis had tested assumptions about security and stability, describing the crisis as having effects extending beyond the region.

"Iran is our neighbor," Al Thani said. "We need to understand that without having a security framework that brings us all together as Gulf countries with Iran, ensuring that none of us is posing a threat on the other, this region will not just be continuing in the same way as it used to be."

"We have to act together responsibly as a region and to make sure that we are having good relations with Iran and Iran has good relations with the Gulf countries," he added.

Al Thani said Qatar and its regional partners were working toward such an arrangement and expressed hope that the conflict would prompt greater cooperation.

"We are working toward that. Our regional partners believe in this, and we are hoping that this war is a wake-up call for everyone that it's time for it to happen," he said.

He also said that Qatar would continue its mediation efforts, maintain communication channels and work with regional and international partners to reduce tensions and support diplomatic understandings.

On the economy, Al Thani announced the launch of the Doha Investment platform aimed at managing and expanding the Qatar Investment Authority's domestic portfolio and increasing private-sector participation.

Qatar expects to tender about $38.5 billion in infrastructure projects over the next five years, while real estate and hospitality projects are expected to attract $22.5 billion in private investment, bringing the combined potential value above $60 billion.

The remarks came as world leaders gathered in New York for the high-level week of the UN General Assembly, with the war involving the US, Israel and Iran and its regional consequences among the central issues facing Gulf states.