Regional powers are seeking a way out of the Iran war as attacks threaten shipping and energy supplies. Qatar says mediation continues after a visit to Tehran, where Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey have also held talks with Iranian leaders.
Qatar urged Iran on Tuesday to “show goodwill” by stopping threats against countries in the region and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, as efforts to broker a deal with the United States continued.
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"We have heard positive statements from the Iranian side on this issue, but they still need to show goodwill,” Ibrahim bin Sultan Al Hashmi, director of the foreign ministry’s Media and Communication Department, told a weekly briefing in Doha.
He said a Qatari delegation’s recent visit to Tehran was part of mediation efforts with Pakistan and other regional partners.
Asked whether the delegation had carried a new proposal, Al Hashmi said messages and ideas were still being exchanged with both sides. He gave no details of a proposal and did not announce a breakthrough.
Both Washington and Tehran had spoken about further escalation as well as the possibility of a diplomatic solution, he said.
“The mediator always holds on to this window of hope,” he said.
Regional security talks
On Monday, Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin met Iranian leaders in Tehran.
The three countries signed the Mecca mutual defence pact in August. Iranian state media said all four countries agreed to continue talks on peace and security.
Al Hashmi said Qatar and its Gulf neighbours were ready to take part in a regional security framework based on respect for sovereignty and a commitment not to attack one another.
He said Saudi Arabia’s efforts complemented the work of Qatar and Pakistan.
The talks come amid continuing attacks on Saudi Arabia by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis. Egypt’s parliament on Monday authorised military support to help defend the kingdom.
The US and Iran remain divided over the terms of a deal. Tehran wants the US blockade of its ports lifted and sanctions on Iranian oil exports removed. Washington is demanding that Iran reduce nuclear enrichment.
The war began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February. Iranian restrictions on shipping and the US blockade have severely disrupted traffic through Hormuz, a crucial route for Gulf oil and gas exports.
Brent crude rose above $117 (€105) a barrel last week, its highest level since April, following Iranian attacks on tankers near the strait. Crude flows through Hormuz were around 60% of normal, according to ANZ research.