Daijiworld Media Network - Doha
Doha, Aug 27: Qatar Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani is scheduled to visit Tehran on Thursday for talks aimed at easing tensions and reviving dialogue between Iran and the United States.
Qatar's Foreign Ministry announced the visit on Wednesday, saying Sheikh Mohammed, who also serves as the country's foreign minister, will meet a number of Iranian officials to discuss ways to de-escalate tensions and create conditions conducive to dialogue.
Qatar has maintained that diplomacy remains the best way to resolve differences and promote security and stability in the region. Iran has also confirmed the visit, saying discussions will include Qatar's mediation efforts and other regional developments.
Qatar has previously acted as a back-channel mediator between Washington and Tehran and helped secure a memorandum of understanding in June that temporarily halted hostilities. The agreement later collapsed in July, while the conflict is now approaching its sixth month.
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he was in no hurry to resume talks with Iran, arguing that economic and military pressure were proving effective.
Meanwhile, Iran has continued to oppose the US sanctions campaign. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the latest sanctions as an act of state and economic terrorism in a letter to the United Nations and urged countries not to implement them.
The Strait of Hormuz remains another major point of disagreement between the two sides. Iran wants control over the strategic waterway, while the US has called for it to remain open as an international waterway. Oil shipments through the strait have fallen sharply since the conflict began.
Sheikh Mohammed is also expected to discuss the waterway during his Tehran meetings, with Qatar calling for a return to the situation that existed before February 28.
The Qatari leader's visit comes days after Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi met Araghchi in Tehran. Iran and Oman have since discussed a temporary shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz, although Tehran has said the waterway will not fully reopen until US commitments under the June agreement are fulfilled.
Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir also visited Tehran earlier this week as part of diplomatic efforts to break the stalemate.
Regional countries are stepping up diplomatic efforts amid fears that a fresh escalation could develop into a wider conflict with serious consequences for the region and the global economy.