AP – Iran’s Foreign Minister met the Ruling Amir of Qatar on Tuesday. The timing of the meeting is interesting as a quartet of Arab States continues the boycott of the energy-rich nation over Doha’s relations with Tehran.
Muhammad Javed Zarif met with Omani officials on Monday. During his visit to Oman, he had a meeting with Sultan Qaboos bin Said, who has ruled Oman since 1970 and has served as interlocutor between the West and Iran.
Iranian state media published images of Zarif in Doha meeting Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Ruling Amir of Doha, on Tuesday. This trip is Zarif’s first since the diplomatic crisis began in June.
“None of the regional crises have a military solution,” Zarif said at the meeting, according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency. All sides should “give priority to regional initiations for restoring collective stability and security.”
Mohammad Javad Zarif’s visit is likely to further inflame officials in Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which began their boycott nearly four months ago, on June 5. However, The Qatari official has made no comment on Zafri’s visit or meetings.
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