By Noureddine Omar | 2026-04-23

Qatar is undergoing a radical shift in its official and media posture toward the Iranian regime.

Qatar's new posture is a reaction to Iranian bombardment of its territory, shattering prior appeals for calm and friendly relations.

In a decisive move, Qatari authorities detained two Al-Jazeera analysts, Saeed Ziad and Fatma al-Samadi, alongside former employee Mona Hawa.

The detentions were triggered by social media posts deemed a direct ideological alignment with the Iranian regime.

Al-Samadi provided definitive evidence against herself by brazenly referring to Ali Larijani, the now-deceased secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, as a "martyr."

Following the publication of these tweets, al-Samadi’s account on the X platform was suspended, presumably under pressure from Qatari authorities.

Qatar views such posts as an act of treason, especially after the arrest of individuals charged with collaborating with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

"Qatar's current reaction is entirely natural, given years of maintaining an open-door policy aimed at dialogue," Qatari international affairs researcher Mahmoud Abdul Moneim told Al-Fassel.

"The IRGC's declaration of war, made brutally clear by its targeting of civilian, economic and oil infrastructure, has completely shattered all of Qatar's diplomatic efforts," he added.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has implied support for the crackdown, condemning the events as a "big betrayal" by Iranian leadership.

The Qatari public sphere has fundamentally transformed, viewing the Iranian regime's bombardment as a direct assault that transcends mere security measures.