Iran press/Europe: Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani on Sunday also urged Iran and the United States to meet and find a compromise to de-escalate their row.
"What we are trying to do is really to bridge the gap and create a conversation between the two parties as escalation is not going to benefit anyone in the region," Qatari Foreign Minister told reporters in London, Press TV reported.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani added that Qatar and other countries have been in talks with both Tehran and Washington about the de-escalation and said, "We believe that at one point there should [be] an engagement – it cannot last forever like this."
“Since they are not willing to engage in further escalation, they should come up with ideas that open the doors,” the top Qatari diplomat emphasized.
He said several countries, including Qatar, Oman, Iraq and Japan, have been urging de-escalation with Iran and the US, adding, "All these countries are concerned what escalation could lead to."
On May 02, Qatari Foreign Minister said that the US sanctions should not be extended because they have an adverse impact on countries benefiting from Iranian oil.
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"There were attempts by Qatar and by other countries in the region to de-escalate the situation: we have been speaking to the US and we have been talking to the Iranians as well," Sheikh Mohammed pointed out.
The United States remarkably stoked tensions with Iran in May 2018 when US President Donald Trump pulled his country out of the 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) reached between Tehran and six world powers, and re-imposed harsh sanctions against the Islamic Republic in defiance of global criticisms.
The tensions saw a sharp rise on the first anniversary of Washington’s exit from the deal as the US moved to ratchet up the pressure on Iran by tightening its oil sanctions and building up its military presence in the region.
In early May, the Trump administration beefed up the US military presence in the Persian Gulf, citing alleged and unspecified threats posed by the Islamic Republic to American troops and interests. 205/201
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