Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim arrived in Tehran on Wednesday and held talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in a visit to boost relations between the two countries and discuss regional developments.
The Emir’s visit coincides with heightened diplomatic activity in the Middle East to address issues such as the postwar administration and rebuilding of Gaza, the rehabilitation of Syria after the overthrow of the Assad regime, and ending the war in Ukraine.
At a press conference following talks with Mr Pezeshkian, Sheikh Tamim said they discussed “the difficult circumstances in the region and agreed that the best way to resolve conflicts is through constructive dialogue”.
“Dialogues and understandings support stability in the region and enhance the prosperity of its countries and peoples,” he said.
On Gaza, Sheikh Tamim stressed the need to adhere to the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel that ended 15 months of fighting, and the necessity for aid to flow into the enclave.
Qatar, with Egypt and the US, helped to mediate a halt to the war in Gaza. Attention has turned to a permanent end to the conflict and Gaza’s future, since the ceasefire went into effect on January 19.
On Syria, Sheikh Tamim stressed the need for a “comprehensive political process” after the ousting of Bashar Al Assad. He also said he had discussed areas of co-operation and the importance of exploring opportunities with the Iranian President.
Mr Pezeshkian said countries in the region could “work and co-operate to achieve stability and security”. “We stressed the unity of Syrian territory and the right of the Syrian people to self-determination,” he said.
He thanked Qatar for its efforts in mediating the ceasefire agreement in Gaza and the release of Palestinian prisoners. He called on Islamic countries to act together to ease the suffering of the Palestinian people and stop the crimes against them.
Sheikh Tamim also met Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who described Qatar as a “friendly and brotherly country,” Iranian state media reported. Mr Khamenei also touched upon the $6 billion fund that was deposited in Qatari bank accounts as part of a prisoner exchange with the US in September, 2023. The money was frozen after the Hamas attack on Israel a month later.
Mr Khamenei said the main obstacle preventing Qatar’s government from returning the money to Tehran is the return of President Donald Trump to the White House, and his so-called maximum pressure policy against the country, IRNA said. Iran’s leader told Sheikh Tamim that Qatar shouldn’t pay attention to pressure from the US to withhold the revenue, it added.
Earlier, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi as saying that Tehran and Doha were “engaged in important and key consultations about economic affairs” that would be discussed during the Emir’s visit. He said the two countries were in touch over regional developments, “specifically the issue of Palestine”.
Representatives of the six Arab Gulf states, Egypt and Jordan are expected to meet in Cairo this week to discuss plans for Gaza. These took a controversial turn after Mr Trump proposed that the US take over and develop the Palestinian enclave while neighbouring countries took in Gaza’s population of more than two million people.
The war has reordered the region’s politics and power balance, with Israeli attacks on Lebanon, Syria and Iran itself weakening Tehran’s regional armed proxies and contributing to the overthrow of Mr Al Assad, an Iranian ally.
Iran also faces the prospect of increased US sanctions as Mr Trump seeks to return to his campaign of “maximum pressure” on Tehran after taking office for a second term in January.
Sheikh Tamim visited Tehran in March last year, while Mr Pezeshkian travelled to Doha in October, three months after his election.