{"id":64657,"date":"2026-07-12T11:38:12","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T15:38:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/mideast-tensions-surge-as-qatars-father-emir-passes-away-at-74\/64657\/"},"modified":"2026-07-12T11:38:12","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T15:38:12","slug":"mideast-tensions-surge-as-qatars-father-emir-passes-away-at-74","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/mideast-tensions-surge-as-qatars-father-emir-passes-away-at-74\/64657\/","title":{"rendered":"Mideast Tensions Surge as Qatar\u2019s &#8220;Father Emir&#8221; Passes Away at 74"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani<\/strong>, the former Emir of Qatar and architect of its modern gas-led economy, has died at the age of <strong>74<\/strong>, prompting four days of mourning across several Arab nations.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Iran has declared the Strait of Hormuz closed<\/strong> following a fresh flare-up in hostilities, while the <strong>U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM)<\/strong> insists maritime traffic continues to flow despite Iranian &quot;warning shots&quot; at commercial vessels.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Canada\u2019s Foreign Minister<\/strong> condemned Iran\u2019s ongoing maritime attacks as a violation of international law, as global energy markets brace for potential supply disruptions in the critical waterway.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Iran\u2019s military leadership<\/strong> has placed all units on high alert, describing the country as being in a &quot;state of war&quot; amid internal calls for unity against external pressures.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Qatar Mourns Loss of Transformative Leader<\/h2>\n<p>The <strong>Amiri Diwan<\/strong> announced on Sunday the passing of <strong>Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani<\/strong>, known as the &quot;Father Emir,&quot; who ruled Qatar from 1995 until his abdication in 2013. Under his leadership, Qatar transformed from a quiet Gulf state into the world\u2019s leading exporter of <strong>liquefied natural gas (LNG)<\/strong> and a major diplomatic power.<\/p>\n<p>In response to his death, the <strong>Jordanian Royal Court<\/strong> and the <strong>UAE Presidential Court<\/strong> have both declared four days of official mourning. <strong>Venezuela\u2019s Acting President<\/strong>, Delcy Rodriguez, also extended condolences, praising Sheikh Hamad\u2019s legacy in building a modern state with prestigious international standing. Funeral prayers are scheduled to be held at the <strong>Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab Mosque<\/strong> in Doha.<\/p>\n<h2>Escalation in the Strait of Hormuz<\/h2>\n<p>Tensions in the Persian Gulf reached a critical point as <strong>Iran<\/strong> claimed to have closed the <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong> after striking a vessel it alleged was using an &quot;unauthorized route.&quot; This development follows a series of attacks on commercial tankers, including <strong>Qatari<\/strong> and <strong>Saudi<\/strong> vessels, which have severely strained a fragile 60-day ceasefire between Tehran and Washington.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand<\/strong> described the attacks as &quot;unacceptable&quot; and &quot;unjustified,&quot; noting that they violate international maritime law. While <strong>U.S. President Donald Trump<\/strong> has reportedly ordered the military to prepare for &quot;decimate and destroy&quot; levels of retaliation if U.S. personnel are targeted, <strong>CENTCOM<\/strong> maintains that the strait remains open to traffic despite Tehran&#39;s rhetoric.<\/p>\n<h2>Iran Signals &quot;State of War&quot;<\/h2>\n<p>Domestically, Iran\u2019s leadership is projecting a defiant stance. A military advisor to the <strong>Supreme Leader<\/strong> stated on Sunday that the country remains in a &quot;state of war,&quot; urging all military units to maintain maximum readiness. The advisor emphasized that national unity is the most critical element in confronting &quot;enemy efforts&quot; to create discord between the people and officials.<\/p>\n<p>These statements come as <strong>Mojtaba Khamenei<\/strong>, the successor to the late Supreme Leader, continues to issue written vows of revenge against the U.S. and Israel. Analysts suggest the IRGC is using control over the <strong>Strait of Hormuz<\/strong> as strategic leverage to force concessions in ongoing negotiations, even as &quot;pragmatic&quot; factions within the Iranian government attempt to preserve diplomatic channels in <strong>Oman<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the former Emir of Qatar and architect of its modern gas-led economy, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":50383,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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