Iran and Qatar to expand ties, says Rouhani
Comments come during a visit by Shaikh Tamim to Tehran
Dubai: Iran’s president Hassan Rouhani has said Iran and Qatar plan to expand their ties on Sunday.
The comments, reported by Al Hadath, come as Qatar’s Emir Shaikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani visited Tehran, just hours after visiting Oman where he paid his respects to Sultan Qaboos who died on Saturday morning.
“I agreed with the Emir of Qatar on important decisions to expand relations between the two countries,” he said.
Al Thani visted Tehran, on Sunday and met with Rouhani, amid soaring tensions following the US killing of an Iranian commander and retaliatory strikes by Iran on US bases in Iraq— although there were no casualties.
Mohammad Khair, a researcher at the Arab Forum for the Analysis of Iran policies, told the Al Hadath broadcaster that Qatar aims to carve out a role for itself mediating between the US and Iran.
Last week the US killed top Iranian General Qasim Soleimani in an air strike in Iraq.
Qatar has developed closer ties with Iran, especially after the Arab Quartet’s decision to sever ties with Doha two years ago.
They accuse Qatar of supporting extremists and the Muslim Brotherhood.