Qatari’s foreign minister says Doha is trying to eliminate regional tensions through a political and diplomatic process.
Qatar is working to ease tensions in the region by bidding for a return to Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal, state media quoted Qatar’s foreign minister as saying.
The comments came in briefing notes on two separate calls earlier in the week between Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and U.S. Special Representative for Iran Robert Malley and U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.
U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration is exploring ways to restore the nuclear deal that Iran reversed with world powers, under which it received sanctions relief as a reward for its nuclear program. to ignore them. The U.S. withdrew from the deal in 2018 with former President Donald Trump, who lifted sanctions on Iran.
“The state of Qatar is working on devaluation through a political and diplomatic process to return to the nuclear deal,” Al Thani, QNA state news agency reported Wednesday.
The comments also came after U.S. Chief of Staff General Kenneth Mackenzie said in an online debate earlier this week that Qatar’s geographical location could help with Iranian-US mediation efforts.
Al Thani said Qatar’s relations with both Iran and the US were continuing, with the strategic ties Qatar maintains with the two.
Last month, Iran’s chief diplomat Mohammad Javad Zarif welcomed Qatar’s call for Gulf states to engage in dialogue with his country and to negotiate talks after Doha said he was “hopeful” that Iran and its Arab neighbors could resume talks.
Qatar, which shares a major gas field with Iran, has asked Gulf Arab states to enter into talks with Iran for years. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates accuse Iran of disrupting unrest in the Middle East – allegations that Tehran denies.
The Trump administration worked to build a united front against Iran in the Gulf, including by encouraging normalization between the Gulf Arab states and Israel.