Recently, Qatar urged the Gulf Arab countries to start a dialogue with Iran, stressing that with the Gulf Arab countries that the time has begun to bridge their differences, it is time for Qatar to coordinate negotiations between the Gulf Arab countries and Iran.
Bloomberg reported on the 18th that Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qatar’s Foreign Minister, has long called on six Gulf Cooperation Councils.
The leaders of member states held a summit with Iran. Recently, he said in an interview that the Qatari government “hopes that this can be achieved and still believes that it should be achieved” and “this is also the common aspiration of other GCC member states”.
Qatar’s official statement is only a few days before U.S. President-elect Biden enters the White House.
Biden had previously promised to return to the Iran nuclear agreement signed by the United States in 2015 and gradually end the “extreme pressure” on Iran by the current President Trump administration.
Tensions between Qatar and the Arab countries in the Gulf for three and a half years have improved in recent days.
On January 5, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain agreed to repair relations with Qatar at the GCC leaders’ summit held in Saudi Arabia.
Previously, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab countries in the United Arab Emirates have accused Qatar of “financing Iranian-backed terrorist organizations” since 2017. Qatar firmly denied supporting terrorism and maintained good relations with Iran. The two countries shared a large gas field in the Persian Gulf waters.
Reuters reported on the 16th that Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan revealed to the outside world that the Saudi Embassy in Qatar will reopen in the near future.
AFP report on the 18th also pointed out that Egypt and the United Arab Emirates achieved the first direct flight between the two countries and Qatar on the same day since 2017.
After the White House changes hands, the situation in the Middle East is expected to usher in a new round of restructuring, and confrontation between regional countries may also turn into cooperation, and Qatar’s special identity enables it to better play the role of an intermediary.
Sheikh Mohammed also mentioned the possible dialogue between the United States and Iran: “Wherever it is, no matter who consults, we will support them.”
