Qatari premier to visit Iran to discuss de-escalation efforts

Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani will visit the Iranian capital on Thursday to discuss de-escalation efforts.

Sheikh Mohammed "will arrive in Tehran tomorrow, where he will meet with a number of Iranian officials to discuss ways to de-escalate tensions & create the conditions conducive to dialogue," Qatar's Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari wrote on X.

The discussions will cover freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the need to restore the waterway to the status quo that existed before Feb. 28, he wrote.

It would mark the first visit by the Qatari premier to Iran since the war between Washington and Tehran began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February.

The US and Iran, with Pakistani and Qatari mediation, signed a memorandum of understanding in June, but the deal’s implementation stalled amid differences related to the Strait of Hormuz.

The US resumed military attacks on Iran last month, with Tehran responding by striking US military assets in Arab states aligned with Washington.