Iran, Israel, and the US have all declared victory in what President Donald Trump has dubbed the “12-Day War.”
The interlocutor who secured the ceasefire: Qatar, which has mediation enshrined in its constitution. Throughout this conflict, and the far longer war in Gaza, Doha maintained open channels with all sides, brokering hostage releases despite drawing ire from Israel and US groups for hosting Hamas officials.
On Monday, it absorbed a barrage of Iranian ballistic missiles — all but one intercepted — aimed at Al Udeid air base, in retaliation for American strikes on Iran’s nuclear program. Even as Qatari officials condemned Iran’s breach of their country’s sovereignty, they were on the phone with Washington and Tehran to end the hostilities, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times reported.
Still, a direct attack on a Gulf state marks a shift in Tehran’s behavior. Iran’s president called Qatar’s emir to express “regret” and insisted the strike did “not represent a threat.” Trump also phoned the emir, and posted his thanks for all “he has done in seeking Peace for the Region.” With Doha’s help, Gulf states got the de-escalation they had been pushing for.