Qatar wants to build bridges between US and Iran

Qatar’s foreign minister has said that his country would like to use its open channels with the United States and Iran to build bridges between them to overcome their differences. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdul Rahman Al-Thani made his comment on Al Jazeera on Tuesday.

The minister said that Doha is trying to encourage Tehran to take positive initiatives towards other regional countries. “What matters to Qatar is reaching an agreement on the Iranian nuclear file since [such an agreement] will be a stabilising factor in the region,” he added.

The top Qatari diplomat’s remarks coincided with Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani’s visit to Washington where he met with US President Joe Biden. The president received Sheikh Tamim on Monday and discussed Gulf security in light of the recent attacks by Yemen’s Houthis against the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Other bilateral issues were also on the agenda.

Speaking from the Oval Office, Biden said that the US is planning to designate Qatar as a major non-NATO ally, a move that would formally upgrade the partnership between Doha and Washington. “This will reflect the importance of our relationship,” he told the emir. “I think it’s long overdue.”

Such status will give Doha special economic and military privileges in its relationship with the US.

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