DOHA ESCALATES CRISIS WITH MOVE TO RESTORE FULL TIES WITH TEHRAN
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs says Qatar is burning bridges and squandering sovereignty with its actions
Qatar says it has decided to restore full diplomatic relations with Iran and strengthen ties with the country “in all fields”, disregarding the demand of Arab nations locked in a regional dispute with Doha that it reduce its ties to Tehran.
In a series of tweets directed at the move, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr Anwar Gargash, yesterday said: “Doha has escalated its troubles by announcing plans they had in mind in Yemen or Iran.”
He put the blame on Qatar for mismanaging the crisis and prolonging it.
“The management of the crisis caused the burning of bridges, the squandering of sovereignty and the deepening of the Qatari crisis and undermined what remained of the mediator’s chances, the wisdom that we hoped for was completely absent,” he wrote.
When Qatar announced its decision, it did not mention the diplomatic crisis that has been affecting the Gulf since June, when the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt began a boycott against Doha, accusing it of supporting terrorism.
“Qatar announced that its ambassador to Tehran will return to resume his diplomatic duties,” the foreign ministry’s information office said in a short statement on its website.
“The state of Qatar expressed its aspiration to strengthen bilateral relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran in all fields.”
Qatar pulled its ambassador from Iran early last year after Saudi Arabia’s execution of a prominent Shiite cleric sparked attacks on two Saudi diplomatic posts in Iran, a move to show solidarity with the kingdom.
The foreign ministry’s information office also said Qatari foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani had discussed “bilateral relations and means of boosting and developing them” in a telephone call with his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif.
Iran yesterday confirmed the call by the Qatari minister.
“The phone call was made last night, and the Qatari side expressed their interest in returning their ambassador to Tehran,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi told the official Irna news agency.
“Their ambassador had been
recalled to Doha for certain consultations, and his return to Tehran is considered a logical and positive move and decision.
“As we have repeatedly declared, the Islamic republic of Iran’s principled policy has always been, and will be, the development of its relations with all neighbours,” Mr Qassemi said.
“Promoting co-operation and prioritising the enhancement of all-out ties with neighbouring countries will be one of our basic – or super – priorities in foreign policy during president Hassan Rouhani’s new term in office.”
The Qatari foreign ministry did not say when the ambassador would return to Tehran.
Even after Qatar withdrew its ambassador from Iran last year, the two countries maintained considerable commercial ties. They share an offshore natural gas field, called the South Pars Field by Iran and the North Field by Qatar.
Since the diplomatic dispute with the quartet of Arab nations began in June, Iran has allowed Qatar’s national airline to use its airspace and has sent food supplies to Doha.