Qatar: US envoys in Doha for regional talks, no high-level Iran meeting

At his weekly press briefing in Doha, Qatar's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Dr Majed al-Ansari confirmed that US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are in Doha for meetings with Qatari mediators to discuss regional issues, including the US-Iran negotiations and Lebanon. He said there are no high-level meetings planned between US and Iranian officials at this stage, but technical talks are ongoing and have not stopped since the agreement. On the Strait of Hormuz, al-Ansari reiterated Qatar's position that freedom of navigation must not be hindered, calling it an international waterway. He said a channel of communication has been established for de-confliction and was used to contain recent escalations. He confirmed that technical talks are progressing and that Qatar hopes issues will be resolved within the 60-day period of the MoU. Regarding frozen Iranian assets, al-Ansari clarified that Qatar does not own the money and that the $6bn held in Qatar under the 2023 agreement has not been moved. He said the frozen assets issue is addressed in the MoU but depends on talks between the parties. On regional engagement with Iran, he said Qatar believes regional issues should be solved through regional dialogue and is working with partners to reach that point. Al-Ansari also confirmed that Qatar has played a role in the Russia-Ukraine war, facilitating the return of more than 100 children to their families. He expressed condolences over an incident in Qatar's waters involving shrapnel from regional tensions, which led to a fatality.

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