Qatar Announces Readiness to Mediate Between Iran and the US

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) - International Service: Majid Al-Ansari, a spokesman for the Qatari Foreign Ministry and advisor to the Qatari Prime Minister, told Fox News on Wednesday: "We were even working with that government during the first term of the Trump administration to reach an agreement with Iran, and we think this is a role we can play now."

 

He also noted that Qatar is currently participating in 10 mediation processes that are underway simultaneously, including mediation efforts between the Palestinian Hamas movement and the Israeli regime.

 

In 2024, Qatar was the mediator in a prisoner exchange between Iran and the United States.

 

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA or Iran nuclear deal) was signed in 2015 between Iran, France, Germany, Britain, China, Russia and the United States, as well as the European Union. The agreement envisaged sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on Iran’s nuclear program, but the United States unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018 and, contrary to its commitments, reimposed sanctions on Tehran.

 

Meanwhile, the US President claimed in a joint press conference with the Israeli Prime Minister on Tuesday that his only demand from Iran was that it not have nuclear weapons.

 

US President Donald Trump stated in his press conference: “Iran is not weak. Iran is a very strong country. But we will not allow them to get nuclear weapons. Iran is not weak. They are strong. My desire is to prevent them from getting nuclear weapons.”

 

The US President also said in a statement against Iran's peaceful nuclear program: "If Iran goes after a nuclear weapon, it will be bad for them. But if Iran decides to stay away from nuclear weapons, this country will become a country with an incredible future."

 

Trump continued, in response to a question about his statements on negotiating with Iran, saying: "I hated issuing the presidential memorandum on Iran. I want Iran to be successful and peaceful. I hate taking action against Iran. In my first administration, they had no money. I hated taking action then, I hate taking action now."

 

Meanwhile, Iran's foreign minister wrote in response to Trump's recent statements: "Smart people choose maximum rationality over the failed policy of maximum pressure."

 

According to ISNA, Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, wrote on his account on the X social network: "What is called 'maximum pressure' is a failed experiment. Repeating it will only lead to 'maximum resistance' once again. Smart people choose 'maximum rationality' instead. In addition to being a committed party to the NPT and other global non-proliferation documents, Iran has previously explicitly stated that 'Iran will not seek, produce or acquire nuclear weapons under any circumstances.'"

 

He clarified that "it is not difficult to obtain practical guarantees that Iran will not acquire nuclear weapons, provided that objective guarantees are provided in return for an effective end to hostile measures against Iran - including economic pressure and sanctions."