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Qatari emir visits Joint Operations Command, briefed on Iranian missile interception

Qatari emir visits Joint Operations Command, briefed on Iranian missile interception

Arab News7 hours ago

LONDON: Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani visited the Joint Operations Command of the armed forces in the Al-Mazrouah area on Wednesday.
Sheikh Tamim toured the headquarters to review the systems utilized for monitoring as well as command and control, Qatar News Agency reported.
During the visit, a briefing was provided regarding the interception of a missile attack targeting Al-Udeid Air Base, which the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps launched on Monday evening.
The Joint Operations Command highlighted the precautionary measures implemented by the armed forces, emphasizing their efficiency and readiness to defend Qatar.
Sheikh Tamim expressed his gratitude and appreciation to everyone working in the military and security sectors. He was accompanied by Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al-Thani, Qatar's deputy prime minister and minister of state for defense affairs, along with several senior military and security commanders.

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Qatari emir visits Joint Operations Command, briefed on Iranian missile interception
Qatari emir visits Joint Operations Command, briefed on Iranian missile interception

Arab News

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Qatari emir visits Joint Operations Command, briefed on Iranian missile interception

LONDON: Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani visited the Joint Operations Command of the armed forces in the Al-Mazrouah area on Wednesday. Sheikh Tamim toured the headquarters to review the systems utilized for monitoring as well as command and control, Qatar News Agency reported. During the visit, a briefing was provided regarding the interception of a missile attack targeting Al-Udeid Air Base, which the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps launched on Monday evening. The Joint Operations Command highlighted the precautionary measures implemented by the armed forces, emphasizing their efficiency and readiness to defend Qatar. Sheikh Tamim expressed his gratitude and appreciation to everyone working in the military and security sectors. He was accompanied by Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al-Thani, Qatar's deputy prime minister and minister of state for defense affairs, along with several senior military and security commanders.

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The Gulf Cooperation Council foreign ministers met in Doha on Tuesday to express solidarity with Qatar a day after it was attacked by Iran. Although the missile attack did not cause any casualties or substantial material damage, it was unprecedented. It was the first military attack by Iran against Qatar and probably the first time Qatar was attacked in recent memory. The foreign ministers' gathering was the second emergency meeting in as many weeks. Under GCC rules, the Ministerial Council, the official name for foreign ministers' meetings, meets four times a year in regular sessions, but it can meet any time in emergency sessions. The previous meeting on June 16 was convened to discuss Israel's attack on Iran. At that meeting, the GCC ministers expressed support for Iran and roundly condemned the Israeli attacks — and Qatar was among the most enthusiastic supporters. 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Patience no longer means abstaining from action, it means responding with precision, without falling into the trap of prolonged attrition. Waiting is no longer a virtue in itself, but a component in a more agile, more assertive strategy. Today, with Trump announcing a ceasefire, Iran emerges as a player that lost nothing essential: it responded militarily, maintained its deterrent image and benefited from a Qatari-mediated de-escalation that likely came with new diplomatic channels or concessions. In this, we see a new face of Iran's patience: assertive patience. Patience that enables a response, not only restraint. Patience that preserves control while wielding credible threats. But this approach is not without its limits. Domestic pressure is growing, the regional landscape is fluid and technological escalation leaves little room for slow maneuvers. That is why the question is no longer: Does Iran possess strategic patience? Rather, it is: Is the regional and global tempo still compatible with this model of slow, deliberate endurance? Perhaps the answer lies in adapting rather than abandoning. Iran may not be able to wait 10 years for every policy outcome, as the old carpet metaphor suggests. The craft remains, but the pace must evolve. Like the modern Persian carpet, sometimes produced in six months with new tools and techniques, Iranian strategy may need to integrate faster, more responsive tactics without losing its long-range character. Between the roar of missiles and the whisper of weaving needles, Iran remains a state that excels at survival. But the greater test now is not how long it can wait, but whether it can change while waiting.

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