The Albany Gazette - Qatar sees tentative opening for renewed regional diplomacy

Qatar sees a “glimmer of hope” in its mediation between the United States and Iran even as escalation continues across the region. Adviser to the Prime Minister and Spokesperson for Ministry of Foreign Affairs His Excellency Dr Majed bin Mohammed al-Ansari said both sides remain committed to the negotiating process and are reviewing the proposals on the table, though no specific breakthrough has been reached. Speaking at the ministry’s weekly media briefing Tuesday, al-Ansari said a mediator cannot afford to lose hope, pointing to ongoing developments in communications between the parties. Mediators are exchanging proposals in real time, he said, and both sides are weighing the ideas put forward within different contexts.

The Qatari delegation travelled to Tehran on Monday, its third visit in a week. The talks lasted around three hours, during which the two sides exchanged views on several proposals under consideration before the delegation returned to Doha that evening. Al-Ansari described the meetings as positive, while stressing that building trust requires concrete steps and measures. Qatar is working toward a preliminary agreement that would pave the way for implementing mutual commitments. Guarantees, he said, will be discussed once an agreement is reached.

Freedom of navigation is non-negotiable, al-Ansari said, and Qatar rejects any threat to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and the Arabian Gulf, whether aimed at a Qatari vessel or any other. Qatar has condemned the targeting of its gas carrier Al Mayeda. Any escalation, whether through military strikes or attacks on vessels, would threaten the entire region and undermine negotiations, he warned. Regional coordination is at a very high level, al-Ansari said, with leaders across the Gulf in daily contact. Each state is playing its part within a joint effort to spare the region the ravages of escalation. Qatar welcomed the steps taken by fellow Gulf nations, adding that coordination continues at the highest levels to end the escalation and establish a new regional security framework that guarantees stability for the region’s peoples.

The Qatari-Pakistani mediation remains a priority for Doha, he reaffirmed, and any escalation in the coming period would not serve the interests of any party. On Yemen, Qatar has clearly condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, reaffirmed its support for the legitimate Yemeni government, and stood by its commitment to agreements reached under the GCC umbrella.

During his visit to Russia, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani discussed the regional crisis and the role Moscow could play alongside other permanent members of the UN Security Council. Energy ties were also on the agenda, including the Amir’s participation in the Gas Exporting Countries Forum summit. Al-Ansari said the Amir’s meeting with Iran’s president is part of ongoing bilateral engagement, and that Qatar values Iran’s positive role in the negotiations. Al-Ansari also dismissed Israeli allegations that Qatar interfered in the Israeli elections as baseless, and said Doha will not accept being used as a scapegoat. He urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address his country’s internal challenges rather than export its political crises abroad, adding that such campaigns would not deter Qatar’s mediation on Gaza or Iran.

mediationUnited StatesIranescalation

(N.Miller--TAG)