Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdelrahman Al Thani said on Thursday that the Gulf Arab states and Iran need to agree on a framework to address concerns and reduce tension in the region. Sheikh Mohammed also welcomed the steps taken by Turkey, a Qatari ally, to mend relations with Saudi Arabia and Egypt, urging both Arab countries to continue their communication with Ankara.
Sheikh Mohammed told Reuters, "The region needs to feel some stability and all players in the region need to seek dialogue to ease all these tensions." Saudi Arabia and Iran are engaged in regional competition manifesting in proxy wars across the region.
Saudi and Iranian officials held talks last month in Iraq aimed at de-escalating tensions, while the U.S. and Tehran are trying to revive the 2015 nuclear agreement that Washington withdrew from in 2018 during the presidency of Donald Trump, who reimposed sanctions on Iran. Tehran responded by violating many of the restrictions outlined in the nuclear agreement.
Saudi Arabia opposed the nuclear deal between world powers and Iran because it did not address Tehran's missile program and regional activities. Qatar has good relations with both Iran and Turkey, which was among the factors that led Riyadh and its Arab allies to sever all ties with Doha in 2017.
In January, Saudi Arabia announced an agreement among the four countries, which also include Egypt, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates, to end the boycott of Qatar. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu is expected to visit Saudi Arabia next week, following talks that Turkey held with Egypt this week aimed at normalizing relations.
The Qatari minister stated, "I am confident that if all these parties sit together, it will have a significant impact on regional stability."
