Qatar’s former prime minister says it is “astonishing” that Iran continues to respond to attacks by striking its Gulf neighbours, Al Jazeera reports.

In a post on X, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani has described Iran’s latest attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait as “unjustifiable” and questioned whether they had been premeditated.

Al Thani says Qatar remains committed to maintaining positive relations with Iran, but stresses that Doha would not be “blackmailed” by its neighbour. He has also called on Gulf states to adopt a unified stance towards Tehran, arguing that such solidarity would demonstrate that Iranian attacks will not weaken them.