Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, upon coming to power in Iran after the 1979 Islamic revolution, adopted a distinctly Shia-sectarian constitution. With its approval, all Iranian citizens who did not belong to the Shia sect became, in practice, second-class citizens. At the same time, he embraced the export of the revolution beyond Iran through his tilling the land programme.
Qatar's minister of state for foreign affairs, Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al Khulaifi, speaks with Talk to Al Jazeera, as the Gulf faces its most dangerous escalation in years after coming under Iranian drone and missile attacks. Al Khulaifi condemns Iran's aggression, warns that attacks on energy infrastructure threaten global markets, and argues that Gulf security is inseparable from global stability.
Iran has attacked the Gulf Arab states, hitting civilian buildings and energy infrastructure, as well as military bases hosting United States forces in the Gulf. The impact of the US-Israeli strikes on Iran is being felt across the region.