Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and U.S. President Donald Trump discussed efforts for regional de-escalation and stability in a phone call, the Emiri Diwan said on Wednesday, as Washington and Tehran pursue diplomatic solutions to Iran's nuclear program.
Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Reuters/Nathan Howard
Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and U.S. President Donald Trump discussed efforts for regional de-escalation and stability in a phone call, the Emiri Diwan said on Wednesday, as Washington and Tehran pursue diplomatic solutions to Iran's nuclear program.
The call comes ahead of a meeting between Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu where the Israeli prime minister is expected to press him to widen U.S. talks with Iran to include curbs on Tehran's missile arsenal and other security threats beyond its nuclear programme.
Qatar has been engaging in diplomatic efforts with regional allies to ease tensions between Washington and Tehran to avert the threat of a military confrontation between the longtime adversaries.
Ali Larijani, an adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, arrived in Qatar on Wednesday and was expected to meet with the emir, as Washington and Tehran prepare to resume negotiations.
The two countries held indirect talks in Oman last week, which a spokesperson for Iran's foreign ministry said had allowed Tehran to gauge Washington's seriousness and showed enough consensus for diplomacy to continue.
The emir and Trump discussed "supporting diplomatic efforts aimed at addressing crises through dialogue and peaceful means," the Diwan said.
Doha has also been mediating between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza war, alongside the U.S. and Egypt.
Reporting by Nayera Abdallah and Jana Choukeir
Israel will continue its operations on the ground in southern Lebanon for the time being and Lebanese residents forced from their homes by Israel would not be able to return, Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Thursday.
The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran was meant to break the Islamic Republic. Instead, the warring sides are edging towards an interim agreement that would leave Iran battered but not broken.
The Israeli military said it had intercepted rockets fired by Hezbollah into Israel on Wednesday, while Lebanese security sources said an Israeli strike hit a car near Beirut, testing a U.S.-mediated deal that aims to get the sides to curb attacks.
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