Qatar has called for more time to allow diplomatic efforts between the United States and Iran to bear fruit, as the region holds its breath over the fate of negotiations that could determine whether the Middle East slides further into conflict.
Majed al-Ansari © MOFA Qatar
Qatar has called for more time to allow diplomatic efforts between the United States and Iran to bear fruit, as the region holds its breath over the fate of negotiations that could determine whether the Middle East slides further into conflict.
Speaking at a press conference in Doha, Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said his country supports the mediation efforts led by Pakistan to bring the two sides closer together, but warned that reaching a solution "requires more time."
The statement came after President Donald Trump claimed on his Truth Social platform that he had called off a new military strike against Iran at the request of the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, all of whom reportedly told him a deal remains within reach.
Asked directly about Trump's claim, al-Ansari declined to elaborate. "We are not in a position at this stage to give any indication of what might happen in the negotiations," he said, adding, however, that Qatar's priority is clear: "We want to protect the populations of the region, who would be the biggest losers" in any escalation.
By Nabil Al Blooshi
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he had paused a planned attack against Iran to allow for negotiations to take place on a deal to end the U.S.-Israeli war, after Iran sent a new peace proposal to Washington.
Pakistan has deployed 8,000 troops, a squadron of fighter jets and an air defence system to Saudi Arabia under a mutual defence pact, ramping up military cooperation with Riyadh even as Islamabad serves as the main mediator in the Iran war.
A drone strike caused a fire at a nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates, officials there said on Sunday, while Saudi Arabia reported intercepting three drones, as U.S. President Donald Trump warned that Iran must act "fast" after efforts to end the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran appeared to have stalled.
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