Qatar knew of Iran plan to attack commercial vessels: Report

Nora Bendary

Qatar had advance knowledge on an Iranian attack on four commercial vessels in the Gulf of Oman in May and may have failed to warn its U.S., French and British allies, a western intelligence report said, according to Fox News.

The report, obtained exclusively by Fox News, claims that Qatar had prior knowledge of the May 12 attack of two Saudi tankers, a Norwegian tanker and a UAE bunkering ship near the port of Fujairah in the vital waterway, which connects the Strait of Hormuz to the Indian Ocean, near the United Arab Emirates.

“Credible intelligence reports indicate that the IRGC-Quds Forces Naval unit is responsible for the Fujairah Port attacks, and the elements of civilian government of Iran, as well       as the State of Qatar, were aware of the IRGC’s activities,” the report said.

Lawmakers from two European NATO powers told Fox News that it would demand answers to the report from their respective governments.

Nathalie Goulet, a member of the French senate and a major figure in European counterterrorism, told Fox News via email that she was “very concerned” after seeing the intelligence report.

“I intend to raise questions with colleagues in other countries with strong connections in the Middle East such as Britain and with our government,” she said. “I will send the report to the head of the security department and also the minister of defense.”

Goulet, who spearheaded a commission investigating jihadist networks in Europe and authored a report for NATO on terror finance, confirmed to Fox News that the intelligence report was submitted to French authorities and its contents would be investigated.

Qatar, however, has forged an alliance with Iran, whose already tense relationship with the U.S. deteriorated further after President Trump pulled out of the nuclear deal.

Ian Paisley Jr., a British lawmaker who also has a copy of the intelligence report, told Fox News in an email that its contents are “very alarming and requires serious and immediate investigation by my own government.”

“I will be asking my government to immediately investigate the claims made in this report,” he said. “If proven correct, this poses serious questions for our alliances in this region.”

Twitter users have accused Qatar of being an agent of Iran against its Arab brothers and serving its terrorist plots only. Therefore, they demanded the Arab Union to stand against the Qatari regime and its aides to thwart their terrorist plans to destroy the region.