Senior Qatari officials convened recently for an emergency briefing in the presence of the emir himself and the heads of the country's security apparatus. The meeting, described by those present as "pessimistic and grim," centered on forecasts of a possible return to full-scale fighting with Iran within a matter of weeks.
The closed-door session in Doha brought together the entire Qatari leadership, from Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani down to the commanders of the armed forces. Participants were presented with bleak projections regarding the likelihood of renewed hostilities and the economic and security fallout such a scenario would bring to Qatar.
According to attendees who spoke to the press afterward, the emir himself delivered a stark address. "The war is immediate and probably inevitable," Sheikh Tamim said. "We must be ready for the worst possible scenarios, every one of us — institutions and citizens alike."
