Qatar: Mediation efforts between Washington and Tehran are focused on building common ground

Qatar announced that the mediators' efforts to end the war between the United States and Iran are currently focused on building common ground between the two sides, stressing the continuation of work to bring positions between Washington and Tehran closer.

Majid Al-Ansari, spokesman for the Qatari Foreign Ministry, said in a media briefing from Doha on Tuesday that “the effort is currently focused on building common ground between the American and Iranian sides.”

Al-Ansari explained that “the meetings are continuing, and we are within the framework of conveying messages between the American and Iranian sides,” stressing Qatar’s commitment to making efforts to reach a peaceful solution to this crisis and supporting Pakistani mediation.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi met with Steve Witkoff, the envoy of US President Donald Trump, and Qatar also worked on indirect communication between the two parties.

Araqchi said on Monday that he expected to receive an official American response on Tuesday, according to what was reported by official media.

He explained that the Qatari mediators he met in New York “presented ideas and we discussed them, and they are scheduled to raise the issue again with the American side, after which the final American response will be conveyed to us.”

Araqchi added, “The Qataris hope that this will happen by tomorrow (Tuesday local time),” adding: “The current focus is exclusively on the Strait of Hormuz, and the reopening of the Strait is subject to the fulfillment of certain conditions that we informed the other party about.”

On Tuesday, Iran announced that it was awaiting a response from the United States to its new proposal regarding reopening the Strait of Hormuz, while at the same time threatening to attack infrastructure in the region unless it was allowed to export its oil.

Al-Ansari rejected threats to target infrastructure in the Gulf region, and stressed the need to respect infrastructure facilities in the region, stressing that any threat to them represents a violation of international law.

The Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman said: “We strongly condemn any targeting of infrastructure in the region by any party.”

He added: “This targeting of infrastructure, targeting of energy facilities, and targeting of ships all comes only within the framework of striking the interests of the peoples first and last,” noting that “the peoples of the region do not deserve to be thrown into the furnace of this conflict.”

Regarding the situation in the Gaza Strip, the Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman called for more efforts to stop Israeli violations, and said: “A double effort must be made to stop Israeli violations in the West Bank and Jerusalem.”

The Qatari Foreign Ministry expressed, in a statement on Tuesday, the State of Qatar’s “complete rejection of the Israeli statements regarding the annexation of areas in southern Lebanon, and areas extending to the yellow line in the Gaza Strip,” and stressed that they are considered a blatant challenge to international law and international legitimacy resolutions.

In a statement, the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the international community to “assume its responsibilities and oblige the Israeli occupation government to stop its expansionist plans and settlement policy in the occupied Palestinian territories.”

It affirmed Qatar's "steadfast and supportive position of the Palestinian cause and the steadfastness of the brotherly Palestinian people, which is based on ending the occupation and enabling them to obtain their legitimate rights, foremost of which is the establishment of their independent state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital." It also affirmed its firm position towards Lebanon and its sovereignty over its entire territory.