The Washington Post reports that Qatar early in the war asked Iran not to strike its Ras Laffan gas facility, reportedly offering to halt its own gas production to drive up prices and pressure Israel and the US. A senior Israeli security official described the arrangement to Israeli media as a 'secret deal.' The contacts collapsed when Iran struck the Ras Laffan facility in mid-March, according to the report.
The Washington Post report, cited by a senior Israeli security source to the source New Security 8200, outlines a previously undisclosed channel between Doha and Tehran in the early months of the war. According to the account, Qatar sought a pledge from Iran to spare its Ras Laffan natural gas complex — a critical economic asset. In return, Doha is said to have offered to halt its own gas production, deliberately creating a supply shock to raise global prices. The alleged logic: higher energy costs would increase economic pressure on the United States and Israel to push for an end to the fighting in Gaza. The Israeli security source, cited in the report, called this a 'secret deal.' The initiative reportedly collapsed in mid-March when Iran struck the Ras Laffan facility directly, negating the non-aggression pledge Qatar had sought. The report adds to a broader pattern of regional diplomatic maneuvering during the war, including efforts by Qatar and other Gulf states to influence both battlefield developments and U.S.-Iran negotiations. The Zioneer previously reported on Qatar's high-level intervention with President Trump to avert a planned Iran strike, as well as Qatar's role in hostage mediation. The bombing of Ras Laffan marked a significant escalation of the Iran-Qatar dimension of the conflict, and the reported failure of Doha's energy pressure strategy provides context for Qatar's subsequent diplomatic push.
5 developments
- DevelopingQatar offers Iran favorable timeline on frozen funds in push to avert strike, diplomatic sources say
- StrongFars News cites source: Iran was ready to strike, canceled after US offered concessions including lifting blockade
- DevelopingTehran sought to ease US sanctions through Lebanon fighting, senior Lebanese source claims
- StrongQatar proposes $12 billion compromise to unlock Iranian frozen assets
Source and signal
- Internal intake