Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani will travel to Tehran on Thursday for mediation efforts between Iran and the United States. He is set to discuss de-escalation and create conditions for dialogue, as well as seek to restore navigation through the Strait of Hormuz to the situation before the war began on Feb. 28. Al Thani will meet several Iranian officials during the visit to discuss reducing tensions and creating conditions for dialogue. Qatar Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari said the talks would also address freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and the need to restore it to the situation that prevailed before Feb. 28. He said Doha remained committed to the diplomatic track to resolve disputes and promote security and stability in the region. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Al Thani would discuss with Iranian officials the continuation of Qatar’s mediation efforts and regional developments. Iran’s ILNA news agency said the visit was part of mediation efforts between Iran and the United States, following similar moves by Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi in Tehran. Qatar played an unofficial mediating role between Washington and Tehran during the war and took part in contacts that preceded a ceasefire in June, before the understandings collapsed and tensions escalated again.
