Iran confirmed a Qatari political delegation arrived today for talks, with Doha
said to be seeking to consolidate its mediator role. Qatar had earlier accused
Iran over an incident in the Strait of Hormuz; US military forces subsequently
carried out large-scale strikes on Iranian military and civilian targets on
Wednesday and Thursday. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said he regretted
Qatar’s accusations, calling them “questionable, contrary to the principle of
good-neighborliness and unacceptable,” and said Qatar should, during the visit,
explain why it sought to cooperate with the US to bypass Iran-designated
shipping channels despite knowing Article 5 of the Islamabad memorandum, and why
it rushed to accuse Iran before any direct communication.
