Qatar Leads Regional Reconciliation Efforts Between Iran and Gulf States via Muscat

Amid ongoing technical talks between Iran and the United States, informed diplomatic sources revealed that Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, visited Muscat on Wednesday. The visit aims to initiate regional reconciliation discussions between Iran, Gulf Cooperation Council countries, and Iraq, focusing on the future opening and operation of the Strait of Hormuz. These talks, sources clarified, would be separate from US-Iran negotiations and demining arrangements, concentrating solely on the Strait's future operational mechanisms. During the visit, Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of Oman discussed with his Qatari counterpart the US-Iran negotiations' trajectory, mediated by Pakistan and Qatar, along with updates on diplomatic efforts to end the conflict and achieve a comprehensive crisis resolution. Sultan Haitham bin Tariq underscored the importance of advancing these efforts for regional security and stability, stressing the integration of diplomatic endeavors. The Qatari Prime Minister, for his part, praised Muscat's pivotal role in supporting dialogue, facilitating communication, and bridging viewpoints among various parties. This Qatari visit follows a previous trip to Muscat by Iran's chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. These developments came just days after the first round of talks between Iran and the United States in Switzerland, and subsequent to the signing of a memorandum of understanding on June 18.