Qatar's Emir Emphasizes 'Strengthening Relations with Iran' in Phone Conversation with Rouhani

The President of Iran and the Emir of Qatar emphasized increasing cooperation between the two countries and resolving regional issues through dialogue during a phone conversation. According to the state news agency IRNA, Hassan Rouhani on Saturday, June 6, referred to 'sectarianism as one of the major plagues disrupting regional security.' Rouhani stressed that 'the countries in the region need more brainstorming and consultation to resolve and contain regional crises.' He added, 'We want the Islamic world, which suffers from fragmentation, to move towards peace and brotherhood, and in this regard, we are ready to negotiate with the aim of reaching a real agreement.' The Iranian President also emphasized that the way to combat 'terrorism' in the region is through joint cooperation. Based on a report from the Iranian presidential office, the Emir of Qatar congratulated Hassan Rouhani on his victory in the presidential elections during this phone call, stating, 'Our relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran are ancient, historical, and strong, and we seek to further strengthen these relations.' Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani emphasized that 'there are no obstacles in the way of further strengthening relations between Iran and Qatar' and that he would instruct relevant agencies in his country to increase cooperation with Iran. The phone conversation between the Iranian President and the Emir of Qatar took place three days after controversies arose regarding the publication of statements attributed to Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. On Wednesday, June 3, Qatar announced that its state news agency had been hacked, and statements attributed to the Emir criticizing the United States and praising Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Muslim Brotherhood were published by this news agency. Despite the Qatari government's denial, news agencies and media from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates reported on the statements attributed to Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and the Qatari Foreign Ministry expressed surprise at these remarks. In this context, Reuters reported that the new tensions between Qatar and these countries indicate that disagreements among these countries are likely increasing behind the scenes. In 2013, Qatar also faced disputes with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain due to its support for Islamist movements during the unrest in Egypt and Syria, including the Muslim Brotherhood, leading these three countries to recall their ambassadors from Qatar in an unprecedented move. The quotes that the Qatari government claimed were fake were published shortly after the U.S. President criticized Iran during his visit to Saudi Arabia and meetings with Islamic leaders. Relations between Iran and some Arab Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, have soured following conflicts in Syria and Yemen. Saudi Arabia and several of its allies cut diplomatic ties with Tehran in the winter of 2016 following attacks on Saudi diplomatic missions in Tehran and Mashhad. At that time, Qatar was also among the countries that recalled its ambassador from Iran. Iranian officials engaged in talks with Kuwait and Oman in the last months of the previous year, following a visit by the Kuwaiti Foreign Minister to Tehran and the exchange of some messages between the parties. The Iranian Foreign Ministry considered Hassan Rouhani's trip to Oman and Kuwait in January 2017 as a 'sign of goodwill' and 'indicative of the interest in having desirable and balanced relations.' Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Emir of Kuwait, also welcomed 'constructive' dialogues with Iran during the Arab League summit in April. Meanwhile, the Emir of Qatar in his phone conversation with Hassan Rouhani deemed negotiation and dialogue as 'the only way to resolve regional problems' and stated that the dialogues initiated by Kuwait on behalf of the southern Gulf countries should continue. Concurrently with this phone call, however, Ayatollah Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, attacked Saudi Arabia and referred to its officials with terms such as 'reactionary' and 'incompetent.' Ayatollah Khamenei had also harshly criticized Saudi leaders in a message on the occasion of the annual Hajj ceremony, labeling them with terms like 'small and despicable devils,' 'godless and unprincipled,' 'misguided and blackened,' 'instigators of discord,' and 'ignorant of God,' 'tyrants,' and 'the accursed evil tree.' Three days later, the foreign ministers of the Arab League member states described these remarks as 'belligerent and shameful' and condemned them 'in the strongest terms.'