Why Qatar Needs Iran

Much as Qatar supports Hamas and even the Taliban, and then makes itself out to be the indispensable mediator between the West and these terrorist groups, it likewise positions itself as the indispensable mediator between West and Iran. Indeed, Doha’s coziness with Tehran has provoked the ire of its neighbors Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, who see Iran as their major geostrategic rival. Saeed Ghasseminejad explains why this small, authoritarian country—alone among the Sunni states—has made itself into an ally of the Shiite Islamic Republic: