Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani welcomed the US Special Envoy to Iran Robert Malley. Malley’s visit came in midst of deadlocked nuclear talks aimed at reviving the 2015 nuclear deal.
According to the statement issued by Qatar’s Foreign Ministry following the meeting, the two diplomats discussed bilateral cooperation and the latest regional developments with “particular emphasis on Iran.”
The visit came within the scope of Malley’s tour to Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE. On Monday, Malley came together with the UAE National Security Advisor Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed and Presidential Advisor Anwar Gargash.
The US mission in the UAE stated that Malley exchanged views with Emirati officials on “shared commitment to diplomatic solutions to regional security challenges, including Iran’s nuclear activities.”
The US envoy to Iran is also expected to visit Saudi Arabia, prior to his return to Washington.
No further detail was disclosed regarding Malley’s meeting with the top Qatari diplomat. Yet, it coincided with Qatar’s call on the international community to continue nuclear talks in Vienna, which reached an impasse after Ebrahim Raisi won the Iranian presidential election in June.
In September, Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed gave an interview to the US Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), saying, “We want a quiet region. We hold consultations with Iran and keep our channels open with Tehran. We do not want to see a nuclear race in the region.”
Meanwhile, Sheikh Mohammed also discussed bilateral cooperation and the latest regional developments with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian through a phone call held on Monday.
Qatar has recently voiced his desire to mediate between Saudi Arabia and Iran, the region’s two arch-rivals. Speaking at the Global Security Forum held in Doha, Sheikh Mohammed said, “Our aim is to reach a regional security understanding between the GCC and Iran. Iran is our neighbor, Iran is a player in our region and we cannot deny it.”
