Iran, Qatar Link 'Regional Dialogue' to Nuclear Deal

A handout photo made available by the Iranian supreme leader office shows, Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei (L) talking to Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (C), as Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi (R) looks on, during a meeting in Tehran, Iran, 12 May 2022. (EPA)
A handout photo made available by the Iranian supreme leader office shows, Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei (L) talking to Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (C), as Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi (R) looks on, during a meeting in Tehran, Iran, 12 May 2022. (EPA)
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Iran, Qatar Link 'Regional Dialogue' to Nuclear Deal

A handout photo made available by the Iranian supreme leader office shows, Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei (L) talking to Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (C), as Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi (R) looks on, during a meeting in Tehran, Iran, 12 May 2022. (EPA)
A handout photo made available by the Iranian supreme leader office shows, Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei (L) talking to Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (C), as Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi (R) looks on, during a meeting in Tehran, Iran, 12 May 2022. (EPA)

Qatar and Iran have stressed their determination to resolve differences in the region through dialogue. The two countries also underlined the importance of reaching an agreement in the nuclear negotiations between the international community and Tehran.

The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, held talks on Thursday with his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi in Tehran, before he met with the Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Qatar’s Emiri Diwan said Sheikh Tamim and Raisi discussed political, economic and commercial relations, in addition to boosting prospects for bilateral cooperation in the sectors of tourism, investment, transport and communications.

The talks also touched on a number of regional and international files, especially the latest developments in the region.

Khamenei’s official website quoted the senior cleric as saying that the region’s problems “will be resolved through dialogue without the interference of foreign parties.”

He added that the “strength and stability of the Iranian-Qatari ties are in the interest of the two countries,” but noted that bilateral economic relations were very modest and must be doubled.

On the political level, Khamenei pointed to the presence of a “basis for exchanging views,” expressing his hope that the visit of the Emir of Qatar would constitute a “new starting point for strengthening cooperation.”

For his part, Raisi said Iran was convinced that regional files could be resolved without foreign and western interference.

“The visit of the Emir of Qatar will be a turning point in the level of relations between our two countries,” he stated.

Commenting on the nuclear talks in Vienna, Sheikh Tamim said: “We look positively at the Vienna negotiations and see that the only solution to any dispute lies through dialogue and peaceful means.”

“We are pushing forward, God willing, all parties,” with the aim of reaching an understanding that is “fair to all,” he added.

While Iranian media portrayed the meeting as evidence of Iran’s expansion of its relations with countries in the region, a source told Reuters on Sunday that the emir’s visit aims to bring the parties to the Iranian nuclear agreement to a common ground.

Citing a source, Reuters reported that Sheikh Tamim will visit Iran before traveling to Germany, Britain and other European states to discuss efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear deal.

The source added the emir’s trip aimed at bringing parties to the Iran nuclear agreement to a “new middle ground.”

In turn, Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani stressed support for reaching an agreement on the outstanding issues in the Iranian nuclear negotiations.

The Qatari foreign minister stressed that the Emir of Qatar’s talks in Tehran “focused on establishing stability in the region and engaging into a regional dialogue.”

Talks in Vienna reached an impasse over Tehran’s insistence that Washington remove the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps from the US Foreign Terrorist Organization list.

In Europe and Britain, Sheikh Tamim will discuss energy security, as Qatar and Iran possess respectively the first and second largest natural gas reserves in the world.



IAEA Pulls Inspectors from Iran as Standoff over Access Drags on

FILE PHOTO: nternational Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi waits for an emergency meeting of the agency’s Board of Governors to discuss the situation in Iran following the US attacks on the country’s nuclear facilities, at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna, Austria, June 23, 2025. REUTERS/Elisabeth Mandl/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: nternational Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi waits for an emergency meeting of the agency’s Board of Governors to discuss the situation in Iran following the US attacks on the country’s nuclear facilities, at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna, Austria, June 23, 2025. REUTERS/Elisabeth Mandl/File Photo
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IAEA Pulls Inspectors from Iran as Standoff over Access Drags on

FILE PHOTO: nternational Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi waits for an emergency meeting of the agency’s Board of Governors to discuss the situation in Iran following the US attacks on the country’s nuclear facilities, at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna, Austria, June 23, 2025. REUTERS/Elisabeth Mandl/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: nternational Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi waits for an emergency meeting of the agency’s Board of Governors to discuss the situation in Iran following the US attacks on the country’s nuclear facilities, at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna, Austria, June 23, 2025. REUTERS/Elisabeth Mandl/File Photo

The UN nuclear watchdog said on Friday it had pulled its last remaining inspectors from Iran as a standoff over their return to the country's nuclear facilities bombed by the United States and Israel deepens.

Israel launched its first military strikes on Iran's nuclear sites in a 12-day war three weeks ago. The International Atomic Energy Agency's inspectors have not been able to inspect Iran's facilities since then, even though IAEA chief Rafael Grossi has said that is his top priority.

Iran's parliament has now passed a law to suspend cooperation with the IAEA until the safety of its nuclear facilities can be guaranteed. While the IAEA says Iran has not yet formally informed it of any suspension, it is unclear when the agency's inspectors will be able to return to Iran.

"An IAEA team of inspectors today safely departed from Iran to return to the Agency headquarters in Vienna, after staying in Tehran throughout the recent military conflict," the IAEA said on X.

According to Reuters, diplomats said the number of IAEA inspectors in Iran was reduced to a handful after the June 13 start of the war. Some have also expressed concern about the inspectors' safety since the end of the conflict, given fierce criticism of the agency by Iranian officials and Iranian media.

Iran has accused the agency of effectively paving the way for the bombings by issuing a damning report on May 31 that led to a resolution by the IAEA's 35-nation Board of Governors declaring Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations.

IAEA chief Rafael Grossi has said he stands by the report. He has denied it provided diplomatic cover for military action.

IAEA WANTS TALKS

Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Thursday Iran remained committed to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

"(Grossi) reiterated the crucial importance of the IAEA discussing with Iran modalities for resuming its indispensable monitoring and verification activities in Iran as soon as possible," the IAEA said.

The US and Israeli military strikes either destroyed or badly damaged Iran's three uranium enrichment sites. But it was less clear what has happened to much of Iran's nine tons of enriched uranium, especially the more than 400 kg enriched to up to 60% purity, a short step from weapons grade.

That is enough, if enriched further, for nine nuclear weapons, according to an IAEA yardstick. Iran says its aims are entirely peaceful but Western powers say there is no civil justification for enriching to such a high level, and the IAEA says no country has done so without developing the atom bomb.

As a party to the NPT, Iran must account for its enriched uranium, which normally is closely monitored by the IAEA, the body that enforces the NPT and verifies countries' declarations. But the bombing of Iran's facilities has now muddied the waters.

"We cannot afford that .... the inspection regime is interrupted," Grossi told a press conference in Vienna last week.