Qatar has refuted a story by The Washington Post alleging it coordinated with Iran on a “secret deal” to protect energy production sites from attack, Al Jazeera reports.

Qatar’s International Media Office has dismissed the allegations as “entirely unfounded”, adding they are “particularly implausible given that Qatar was actively defending its territory against Iranian missile attacks at the time”.

“The allegations rely on false and unreliable material originating from actors whose objective is to sabotage ongoing efforts to mediate an end to the conflict, damage Qatar’s reputation and undermine the strategic partnership between Qatar and the United States,” the statement reads.