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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Patrick Wintour Diplomatic editor

Why is Qatar often a mediator and what is its role in Israel-Hamas war?

Iran's foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, left, and Hamas’s Ismail Haniyeh in Doha, Qatar, in late October.
Iran's foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, left, and Hamas’s Ismail Haniyeh in Doha, Qatar, in late October. Photograph: AP

Why does Qatar mediate in so many conflicts?

Many countries in the Middle East aspire to the role of mediators – Egypt, Oman and Kuwait among them – but Qatar presents itself as the region’s primary problem solver and advocate of dialogue. It has been active in Ukraine, Lebanon, Sudan, Iran, Afghanistan and Gaza, in the process hosting the leadership of the Taliban and the political wing of Hamas among others.

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