Qatar, Iran Hold Joint Coast Guard Meeting to Boost Field Cooperation

Dhows, traditional sailing vessels, with Qatar flags anchored in Doha [Getty Images]
Dhows, traditional sailing vessels, with Qatar flags anchored in Doha [Getty Images]
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Qatar, Iran Hold Joint Coast Guard Meeting to Boost Field Cooperation

Dhows, traditional sailing vessels, with Qatar flags anchored in Doha [Getty Images]
Dhows, traditional sailing vessels, with Qatar flags anchored in Doha [Getty Images]

The 15th joint coast guard meeting between Iran and Qatar was held Sunday in Tehran to develop field cooperation and boost bilateral good-neighborly relations, according to Iranian media.

The Iranian side was headed by Border Guard Commander Brigadier General Ghasem Rezaei and the Qatari delegation was headed by Lieutenant Colonel Abdulaziz Ali al-Mohannadi, assistant director-general of the country’s Coasts and Borders Security, according to IRNA.

Ties between Iran and Qatar have been bolstered since the GCC decided to boycott Doha in June 2017 after accusing it of supporting terrorism.

Last week, Tehran also received UAE Coast Guard Commander Brigadier General Mohammed Ali Musleh al-Ahbabi to discuss means of enhancing border security between the two countries.

The two sides signed on Thursday a maritime border cooperation deal and agreed to hold meetings to discuss border cooperation every six months.

Qatar-funded media has launched a propaganda campaign against UAE's effort to hold border cooperation talks with Iran.

It exploited UAE's move to disrupt the Gulf alliance despite the official announcement by Abu Dhabi that its talks with Iran were routine and didn’t reflect any shift in regional policy.



Iran Says US Sanctions ‘Will Not Change’ Policy after Trump Warnings

An Iranian man rides a bicycle next to an anti-US mural near the former US embassy in Tehran, Iran, 01 May 2025. (EPA)
An Iranian man rides a bicycle next to an anti-US mural near the former US embassy in Tehran, Iran, 01 May 2025. (EPA)
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Iran Says US Sanctions ‘Will Not Change’ Policy after Trump Warnings

An Iranian man rides a bicycle next to an anti-US mural near the former US embassy in Tehran, Iran, 01 May 2025. (EPA)
An Iranian man rides a bicycle next to an anti-US mural near the former US embassy in Tehran, Iran, 01 May 2025. (EPA)

Iran said Friday that continued US sanctions on its trade partners will not alter its policy, after President Donald Trump threatened to penalize countries or individuals dealing in Iranian oil.

"The continuation of these illegal behaviors will not change Iran's logical, legitimate and international law-based positions," a foreign ministry statement said, condemning what it called "pressure on Iran's trade and economic partners".

It added that such sanctions have created "deep suspicion and mistrust about the seriousness of America on the path of diplomacy".

On Thursday, Trump vowed to enforce sanctions and called for a global boycott of "any amount" of Iranian oil or petrochemicals.

"All purchases of Iranian Oil, or Petrochemical products, must stop, NOW!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

"Any Country or person who buys ANY AMOUNT of OIL or PETROCHEMICALS from Iran will be subject to, immediately, Secondary Sanctions," he added.

His remarks came after Iran confirmed that the next round of nuclear talks with the United States, which had been expected to be held on Saturday, has been postponed, with mediator Oman citing "logistical reasons".

Oman said the date for a new round "will be announced when mutually agreed".

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who headed the Iranian delegation in the three rounds of talks held so far, said Iran was ready for a "just and balanced deal".

"There is no change in our determination to secure a negotiated solution," Araghchi said on X, adding that any deal should guarantee "an end to sanctions."

The talks mark the highest-level contact on Iran's nuclear program since Trump abandoned a landmark accord between Tehran and major powers in 2018.

The US president had written to Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei in March urging negotiations but warning of potential military action if they failed.

Since returning to office in January, Trump has revived the "maximum pressure" policy of sanctions against Iran, with the latest announced on Wednesday and targeting seven companies accused of transporting Iranian-origin petroleum products.

Tensions over Iran's nuclear program soared after Washington withdrew from the 2015 deal with major powers which offered Tehran sanctions relief in return for restrictions on its nuclear activities.

Iran adhered to the agreement for a year afterwards before beginning to roll back its compliance.

Western governments have since accused Tehran of seeking a nuclear weapons capability, an ambition it has consistently denied, insisting that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.