Qatar and EU push stalled Iran nuke talks
Published on: Saturday, May 14, 2022
By: AFP
Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (second left) reviews an honor guard as he is welcomed by President Ebrahim Raisi in Tehran. (AFPpic)
TEHRAN: Qatar’s emir and the European Union said they are working to push forward stalled negotiations aimed at reviving a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and major world powers.Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani met Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Ebrahim Raisi in Tehran as an EU envoy held a second day of meetings with Iran’s chief negotiator Ali Bagheri in the Iranian capital.
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The meetings came as a French diplomatic source expressed pessimism over prospects for the talks that have been paused since March between world powers and Iran on restoring the landmark deal.
The 2015 deal gave Iran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme to guarantee that it could not develop a nuclear weapon, something Tehran has always denied wanting to do.
Formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the agreement was left on life support in 2018 by then-US president Donald Trump’s unilateral decision to withdraw and impose punishing sanctions. This prompted Iran to begin rolling back its own commitments.
Qatar, a close US ally, has added the Iran nuclear dispute to its list of diplomatic hotspots where it has taken a behind-the-scenes mediation role.
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“Regarding the negotiations taking place in Vienna, Qatar always looks at them positively,” Sheikh Tamim said during a news conference with Raisi, adding that “the only solution to any disagreement is by peaceful means and dialogue.”
“We are, God willing, pushing all the parties towards” reaching an agreement that is “fair” for everyone, said the Qatari emir.
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Raisi did not raise the nuclear issue during the news conference, but he cautioned against foreign meddling.
“Any interference of Western and foreign countries in the region not only can’t ensure security but will also be harmful to regional security,” he said.
Khamenei also told Sheikh Tamim that issues in the region, such as conflicts in Syria and Yemen, can be resolved through regional dialogue without “foreign intervention”, the Iran leader’s office said in a statement.
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