Iran appeared at an arms expo in Qatar this week, providing a high-profile venue for Tehran to tout its military capabilities even as Doha continues to affirm its defense and strategic partnership with the United States. .
The Islamist nation is among several countries in attendance hostile to the United States, raising concerns that Qatar is helping arm America’s enemies. But one expert told FOX News Digital that these events often bring together strangers.
“It’s not surprising that Qatar was inviting Iran, Russia and other countries. We even heard that the Taliban sent a delegation to a defense exhibition. So this is, in many ways, an indication that Qatar has invited Iran, Russia and other countries. That’s typical of being open to,” Matt McInnis said. a senior researcher at the Institute for the Study of War told FOX News Digital.
“At the same time, it certainly increases the concerns of the United States and other partners about Qatar’s potential role in facilitating arms sales and proliferation of more advanced weapons coming from countries such as Iran and Russia. ” added MacInnis. . “I think this is something that the United States is not happy about, but at the same time it makes sense to some extent that Qatar would be the host country for this kind of thing.”
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Visitors view a model of a Qatari fighter jet on display during the Doha International Maritime Defense Exhibition and Conference at the Qatar National Convention Center in Doha, March 6, 2024. (Karim Jaafar/AFP via Getty Images)
Qatar’s Doha International Maritime and Defense Exhibition and Exhibition (DIMDEX) technology, maritime and defense industry capabilities exhibition was held from March 4th to 6th and was attended by VIP delegations from around the world. The US, Australia, UK, China, France and Japan are just some of the leading companies appearing this week, according to the exhibition’s website.
According to Tasnim news agency, the delegation also includes Russia and Iran, with Iran going a step further and offering unmanned aircraft, guns, missiles and radar systems, including the Shahid-149 drone, which was unveiled for the first time in 2021. Several new weapons were also displayed. Outlets associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) highlighted Iran’s presence at the exhibition and called on the US to deny such access to future arms exhibitions.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran, the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism and home to the largest ballistic missile arsenal in the Middle East, is working to sell its weapons to the world,” FDD wrote. “Washington should deny Iran access to arms exhibitions and seek to counter its role as an arms supplier.”
A model of a military boat is displayed at the IRGC booth at the Doha International Maritime Defense Exhibition and Conference held in Doha, Qatar on March 22, 2022. (Reuters/Imad Kreidi)
“Weapons made in Iran don’t stay in Iran.” written by the group. “Washington must start denying Iran access to arms exhibitions.”
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McInnis claimed that U.S. officials have already begun talking about the U.S.-Qatar relationship, which he also claims has ties to Hamas, which has been used to broker hostage release agreements since the October 7 attack on Israel. He pointed out that the United States bears some responsibility for the current power relationship.
Visitors stop by the China Precision Machinery Import & Export Corporation booth at the Doha International Maritime Defense Exhibition and Conference at the Qatar National Convention Center in Doha, Qatar, March 5, 2024. (Nurshad Thekkair/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“Qatar’s relationships with organizations like Hamas, Iran, and other countries will come under intense scrutiny from the United States,” McInnis said.
“Frankly, part of this was part of our policy and Israel’s policy to have conduits through Qatar to these groups. So we bear some responsibility for this. My expectation and understanding is that there will be some serious talks with the U.S. and how Qatar will maintain its alliances with countries like Iran and groups like the Taliban. “We will need even more security,” he said.
A visitor inspects weapons at the Doha International Maritime Defense Exhibition and Conference at the Qatar National Convention Center in Doha, Qatar, March 5, 2024. (Nurshad Thekkair/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Middle East news outlet Al-Monitor also reported that the Taliban’s acting defense minister, Malawi, attended the exhibition and was scheduled to meet with Qatari defense officials during the event.
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The exhibit coincided with the United States and Qatar meeting and reaffirming their commitment to bilateral security and defense cooperation. A joint statement following a meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammad bin Abdulrahman Al Thani listed key priorities, including concerns about Afghanistan and Ukraine.
Exhibitors stand next to the military and police protective gear pavilion during the Doha International Maritime Defense Exhibition and Conference at the Qatar National Convention Center in Doha, March 6, 2024. (Karim Jaafar/AFP via Getty Images)
While highlighting the strong security partnership in counter-terrorism, the statement did not mention Iran, but instead emphasized “aviation and border security, intelligence sharing, countering violent extremism, and combating terrorism and terrorist financing.” We pledged to build greater cooperation and capacity in the fight.”
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“The United States expressed its appreciation for the ongoing strong counterterrorism cooperation between our two countries,” the statement said. “To further deepen bilateral law enforcement and counterterrorism cooperation, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Qatari Ministry of Interior have committed to signing a new memorandum of cooperation on biometric data sharing.”
Neither the U.S. State Department nor Qatari officials, including the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Qatari Embassy in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Embassy in Qatar, responded to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
