The Iranian Armed Forces have been calling on regional countries and allies to prevent the United States from sending weapons to Israel amid its war with Hamas.
Mohammad Bagheri, the chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces spoke to his counterparts in Qatar, Russia and Turkey this week urging them not to allow the US to use its bases in the Middle East for the transfer of arms to Israel, media in Tehran reported.
In his call with the Qatari defence minister, Bagheri asked for Doha to deny the US the use of its Al-Udeid airbase, a request which is under consideration, according to a post by The Crisis Watch.
Iran has been supporting Hamas with funds and weapons and it has repeatedly voiced its determination to destroy Israel.
Al Udeid Air Base is a military base located close to Qatar’s capital Doha and is home to headquarters of United States Central Command (USCC) and United State Air Force Central Command (USAFCC).
In 2019, the US and Qatar signed an agreement reaffirming Qatar’s commitment to supporting US military activities at the Al Udeid Air Base.
Qatar has a good relationship with the Islamic Republic and the United States and often acts as mediator between the two advisories.
Qatar facilitated the US-Iran prisoner swap in September which released $6 billion of blocked funds to the Iranian regime.
Bagheri also spoke to Turkish and Russian defense ministers warning about US arms supply to Israel and the possibility of other countries joining the war if attacks on the Gaza Strip continues.
“Sending weapons and arms will complicate things,” he said with regards to US support for Israel.