Qatar PM heads to Tehran to revive Iran-US diplomacy

Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani will travel to Tehran on Thursday as Doha steps up efforts to revive diplomacy between Iran and the United States.

The visit comes after months of conflict between Washington and Tehran. Although direct fighting has largely subsided, the two sides have yet to reach a new diplomatic understanding.

Qatar has played an important role as a communication channel between Iran and the United States. The Gulf state has maintained relations with both countries and has previously helped facilitate negotiations between them.

Qatari mediation also contributed to a ceasefire in June that temporarily brought an end to intense hostilities. Doha is now attempting to reopen diplomatic channels and prevent tensions from escalating again.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei confirmed that the Qatari prime minister would discuss Doha’s mediation efforts during his visit. Regional developments and other issues linked to the conflict are also expected to be discussed.

One of the most difficult issues remains the Strait of Hormuz. The strategically important waterway connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and is a major route for international energy shipments.

Iran has used its influence over the strait as leverage during the conflict. Tehran and Oman have been discussing arrangements concerning the waterway and the revenues associated with it. Iranian officials have offered differing accounts of the progress of those discussions, suggesting that important details have yet to be finalised.

The situation in Hormuz has already affected global energy flows. Ship-tracking data showed that oil shipments through the strait had fallen sharply, reaching around 5 million barrels per day on Monday. Before the conflict, approximately 20 million barrels of crude oil passed through the waterway each day.