Qatar Orders Iranian Embassy Staff To Leave Country Within 24 Hours After Strikes On Energy Hub

Last Updated:March 19, 2026, 03:04 IST

Qatar's Foreign Ministry declared the military and the security attaché at the Iranian embassy 'persona non grata' and asked them to leave the country within 24 hours.

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday declared the military and the security attaché at the Iranian embassy, along with the staff, as ‘persona non grata’ and asked them to leave the country within 24 hours.

The decision came in response to the “Iranian targeting and the blatant aggression against the State of Qatar, which violated its sovereignty and security," according to the Qatari foreign ministry. The move came shortly after Iran launched missiles at Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City, home to the world’s largest LNG production facility.

“The ministry explained that this decision comes in response to repeated Iranian targeting and the blatant aggression against the State of Qatar, which violated its sovereignty and security, in a flagrant breach of the principles of international law, United Nations Security Council Resolution No. (2817), and the principles of good neighbourliness," Qatar said in an official statement.

Doha also warned that Iranian aggression will be “met with additional measures in a manner that ensures the protection of its sovereignty, security, and national interests." It said Qatar reserves the right to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty and security.

Earlier, Qatar’s Interior Ministry said Civil Defence teams were responding to a fire in the Ras Laffan Industrial City, a key natural gas processing facility and a bedrock of the Qatari economy, after an “Iranian targeting".

Qatar’s state oil giant QatarEnergy reported “extensive damage" at the site to its main gas facility after the Iranian attack. “All personnel have been accounted for and no casualties have been reported at this time," the company said.

ALSO READ: Qatar’s Main Gas Facility Suffers ‘Extensive Damage’ As Iran Attacks Gulf Energy Sites

Qatar’s Foreign Affairs Ministry condemned the strikes as a “flagrant violation of the state’s sovereignty, as well as a direct threat to its national security" and alleged that Iran was targeting it and neighbouring countries in a manner that undermines regional security.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia said it had intercepted and destroyed four ballistic missiles launched toward Riyadh on Wednesday and an attempted drone attack on a gas facility in the east of the country. The escalation threatens to worsen an unprecedented disruption to global energy supplies, as oil prices rose to nearly $110 per barrel.

The conflict has already halted shipping from the world’s most important energy-producing region and ​could now bring lasting damage to its infrastructure. Iran had earlier issued an evacuation warning for several oil facilities across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, including the Ras Laffan Refinery, saying they would ​be targeted by strikes “in the ​coming hours."

The warning came after the Israeli Air Force struck a natural gas processing facility in Iran, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict. Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian warned of “uncontrolled consequences" after the Israel strike.

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