Iran FM Visits Qatar Days After Iranian Strike on Gulf State
According to a statement from Iran's Foreign Ministry, Araghchi is scheduled to meet with Qatari officials and express condolences over the death of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who ruled Qatar from 1995 to 2013.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi traveled to Qatar on Wednesday to offer condolences following the death of the country's former emir, just days after Iran launched missile attacks targeting the Gulf state.
According to a statement from Iran's Foreign Ministry, Araghchi is scheduled to meet with Qatari officials and express condolences over the death of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who ruled Qatar from 1995 to 2013. The former emir died on Sunday.
The visit comes as tensions between Iran and the United States have sharply escalated, with renewed fighting threatening diplomatic efforts to end months of conflict.
The latest phase of the Middle East war follows an April ceasefire that temporarily halted hostilities sparked by U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February. Tehran responded by launching attacks on Israel and U.S. interests across the Gulf.
The renewed violence has put at risk a memorandum of understanding brokered last month through Qatari and Pakistani mediation, which was intended to pave the way toward ending the conflict.
Hostilities resumed earlier this month after a series of attacks on commercial vessels in the Gulf, which Washington blamed on Iran. Since then, U.S. forces have focused operations on Iran's southern coastal areas, where Tehran claims control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
On Sunday, Qatar said it was targeted by an Iranian attack. The Gulf nation hosts the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East, making it a key strategic partner for Washington despite its role as a regional mediator.