But Qatar IS in Iran's pocket...more or less...and especially after that deadly blocked Qatar's fellow ARab "brothers" enforced on Qatar? Iran literally saved Iran...Qatar is in the Iranian camp(as much as an active proud wealthy ARab GCCmember can be that is). Iran has played patient and nice with Qatar...maybe because of them both sharing south pars and north dome gas field together...they are motivated to keep peace..Qatar also knows its too small to fight Iran, so there is no military tension..lol
Qatar knows its too small to fight literally any country, that's why it has always acted in coordination with another regional power like Turkey or Saudi Arabia to further its interests. Qatar is far from being in Iran's pocket. Qatar is in Turkey's pocket at the moment and facts (not theories) prove that. There's nothing to speculate here. Just check facts and you will see that Qatar is much closer to Turkey than it will ever be to Iran in the near future.
There are a few STRONG tangible ways its helped Iran:
1. Access to USD. Between Qatar's "donations" of USD to IRan to Iran politely extorting available dollars from Qatar, it gives Iran ANOTHER valuable avenue to lighten the pressure and effect ofsanctions..dont forget Qatar is a sizeable economy..a rich one...super high GDP per capita...this is a honey pot financially for Iran. Iran is still under heavy sanctions...and the extra money?? in billions of dollars???? Iran needs that..pressure in Iraq might go up for Iran, or soon, so Iran needs more diverse avenues more than ever.
We are smuggling the green paper from all of our neighbors, including Iraq, Turkey and Afghanistan. I don't know how much your point is true, but it is certainly not free for us. It's not like Qatar is giving us free money. Do you know the volume of Iran's exports to Qatar? It's a very low number about 300 million dollars. Do you know the volume of Turkey's exports to Qatar? It was about 1.3 billion dollars in 2019. Do you see the difference?
2. Leverage over and access to KSA: Being friends with Qatar could give Iran another access point in its regional struggle with KSA.
If Saudi Arabia decides to annex Qatar, the war won't last even one week. Just like how the exhausted Iraqi army successfully invaded and annexed Kuwait in less than 48 hours.
3. Disrupt unity in GCC and OIC- Having Qatar on Iran's side politically has no downside...and Qatar standing up for Iran in ISlamic organizations is helpful to Iran and building a more favorable public opinion of IRan.
The question is not whether it is good or bad to have Qatar on Iran's side. The question is whether Qatar is really on Iran's side, or if Qatar is playing Iran.
4. Access to militarty info and intelligence- Al-Udeid which houses US military personnel is in Qatar...with access to Qatar, IRan could gather more and better intel on US troops and installations in Qatar.
Do you seriously think that the Qatari government would share military intelligence on the US forces to Iran? Seriously? If they wanted to share intelligence with us, we would've known about the US plan to assassinate General Soleimani.
Oman seems to be the most effective and they havent broken through with any better deals recently. Pakistan is out and in the US camp (just too broke and in need of US military gifts to oppose US).
Pakistan is in China's camp at the moment and they're not as pro-Saudi as they were a decade ago. Update your information please. Although I don't trust Pakistan completely because the political atmosphere in Pakistan may change rapidly with a new Prime Minister. Oman has never acted hostile against Iran. Just a decade ago Qatar was one of the most hostile countries towards us in the Persian Gulf region. Oman also hosts a significant number of Baloch people and other ethnic Iranian groups that have lived there for hundreds of years.
Try as many as you need until one works well...you actually dont even have more than 2 real and good mediators...look at it..when it comes to countries that do mediation, you have more quantity, and less quality.
Do you seriously think that Iran's relations with the USA or Saudi Arabia are in their current shape because we don't have enough mediators? Europe, Japan, Turkey, Brazil, Russia, China, all have mediated between Iran and the Western world and our Arab neighbors. Do you think Qatar holds any weight compared to them?
The problem between Iran and Saudi Arabia, or Iran and the United States, is not something that can be resolved through mediation. Just simple as that.
Because, JUST LIKE IN YEMEN and SYRIA, it gives Iran a chance to create another foothold with great potential on the Arabian penninsula...which is has strategic and economic value..dont you see TUrkey has troops in Qatar on the ground currently??? thats great VIP access for TUrkey on that penninsula.
I told you above.
You don't get it, my friend. Qatar is no Syria or Yemen. Qataris are one of the world's richest people driving some of the world's most expensive cars and living some of the world's laziest lifestyles. They are not going to form a resistance like the poor people of Yemen. Not now, not even 50 years later.
The reason that the Syrian regime or the Houthi people have not stabbed us in the back is because they know and firmly believe that they will be defeated as soon as they lose Iran. They do not have many options. So, they have to stand with Iran. That's not true about Qatar. Qatar has many options and almost all of them are better than Iran. Comparing Qatar to Yemen or Syria is just wrong.