DOHA, Qatar, Nov. 14 (UPI) -- Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani has called for solving Iran's controversial nuclear case peacefully, reflecting Gulf fears of a military solution.
A day after Saudi Arabia stressed the need to solve the conflict through negotiations, Sheikh Hamad told a meeting of the Qatari Consultative Council Tuesday that the row over Iran's nuclear program "is a major concern in our region, and we underscore the importance of settling that matter by peaceful means and through continuing international dialogue with Tehran."
Hamad was quoted by Qatari news agency QANA as pledging that "Qatar will deploy every possible effort to consolidate security and stability in our region, which is plagued by acute conflicts and chronic problems."
He argued that "the absence of a just settlement for the Palestinian cause and the big sufferings endured by the Palestinian people is the real reason behind the exacerbation and multiplication of conflicts in the Middle East."
"We urge the international community to give priority to achieving a just settlement to that cause on the basis of international legitimacy, because temporary or partial solutions are no longer sufficient or accept(able) if we want the region to live in peace and security," Hamad added.
The emir also sounded the alarm over the dramatic developments in Iraq and the surge of violence claiming scores of Iraqi victims daily.
"Qatar backs all true and genuine efforts aimed at ending Iraq's ordeal and protecting its unity, security and territorial integrity," Hamad said.
On Monday, the deputy president of Saudi Arabia's consultative council urged a peaceful settlement of Iran's nuclear controversy, reflecting growing fears in Arab Gulf countries of a possible attack against Iran.
