Qatar's Chief Diplomat Says Working To Bring US, Iran Views Closer
Qatar's foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani has said his country is using its ties with Washington and Tehran to bring their views closer.
Qatar's foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani has said his country is using its ties with Washington and Tehran to bring their views closer.
His remarks to Qatari-owned al Jazeera TV come after US president Joe Biden and Qatar's emir met in the Oval Office on Monday to discuss bilateral ties and pressing regional issues.
Al-Thani visited Iran on January 27, just days before the ruling emir's diplomatic visit to Washington and as efforts by Tehran and major powers to revive a 2015 nuclear pact enter a crucial time.
Iran’s official news agency IRNA, however, denied that the trip was related to US and Iranian relations. In a note headlined "Mistaken Interpretation Of Qatar Foreign Ministers' Visit," on the day of the visit IRNA spoke of “good and close relations” with Qatar but said “speculation” over “direct talks with the US in Vienna,” where multilateral talks to revive the 2015 deal, had “fuelled some misconceptions about the nature of the visit.”
Al-Thani welcomed Biden's promise to designate Qatar as a major non-NATO ally saying it reflected the strength of bilateral relations and opened up "partnership opportunities."
Qatar's emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani ended his visit to Washington after sealing a Boeing freighter deal and meeting separately with Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas to discuss arms sales.
