Qatar and Iran Launch Fourth Annual Arab-Iranian Dialogue Conference
Jointly hosted by the Qatari state-run Al Jazeera Centre and Iran’s Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, the Doha conference will focus on Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and the "Palestinian cause"
The Al Jazeera Centre for Studies and Iran’s Strategic Council on Foreign Relations—both state-run mouthpieces for their respective regimes—launched the fourth edition of the Arab-Iranian Dialogue Conference this evening in Doha.
Running from May 10–12 under the laughably ironic title, “Strong Relations and Mutual Benefits,” the event claims to bring together a “distinguished group” of officials, experts, and researchers specializing in regional and international affairs. In reality, it’s a glorified echo chamber for Qatar and Iran to launder their agendas on the backs of Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and “Palestine”—conflicts both regimes have actively helped inflame.
Al Jazeera, contrary to popular belief, is not some plucky independent media outlet. It is a mouthpiece of the Qatari regime—funded, directed, and weaponized by the state. Likewise, Iran’s Strategic Council for Foreign Relations is no scholarly think tank. Established in 2006 by decree of Iran’s Supreme Leader, it is a regime-controlled think tank and advisory body explicitly tasked with shaping major foreign policy decisions and “realizing the objectives of the Iran Outlook Plan.” Far from independent, the SCFR is chaired by senior regime insider Kamal Kharrazi, a former Iranian Foreign Minister, member of the Expediency Discernment Council, and longitme advisor to Ayatollah Khamenei.
The only speaker confirmed prior to the conference? Iran’s current Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Tehran’s lead apologist for terrorism and regional subversion. The opening session of the conference will be public, while the dialogue sessions over the following two days will be closed, with the participation of around 50 officials and specialized researchers from the Arab world and Iran. In other words, the real agenda will unfold behind closed doors, away from public scrutiny—an arrangement all too convenient for two regimes notorious for opacity, repression, and manipulation. That alone tells you everything you need to know about the conference’s true purpose.
The agenda will cover predictable topics—Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and the “Palestinian cause”—but rest assured, they surely won’t include Hezbollah’s destruction of Lebanon, Assad’s war crimes, al-Jolani’s war crimes, or Iran’s backing of the Houthis. It certainly won’t acknowledge Hamas’ October 7 atrocities, much less Qatar’s direct complicity in sheltering and funding Hamas leaders.
What we’re going to see isn’t a conference. It’s a calculated effort to legitimize two of the region’s most destabilizing regimes. Call it what it is: a propaganda blitz under the guise of intellectual discourse.
Here’s my 2 bobs worth. Syria & Lebanon will Not end up in Iran’s sphere of influence! But will eventually Fully align with Germany/EU, along with Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Cyprus.
Egypt & Libya will ally with Iran.
The Palestinians will take half of Jerusalem it will fall to them. The seeds are already sown there, just waiting to sprout.