Responding to US announcement of a new round of sanctions on Iran, Qatar Foreign
Ministry spokesman Ansari said on the 25th that the measures are unilateral. He
said Qatar is continuing efforts to bring the US and Iran back to the
negotiating table and urged all parties to engage sincerely in mediation led by
Qatar, Pakistan and other regional states. Ansari said Qatar supports resolving
the crisis through dialogue and that an immediate priority is restoring freedom
of navigation and returning the Strait of Hormuz to its pre-crisis openness.