Qatar wants to re-establish the relationship between the Gulf countries and Iran

The Qatari foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, gave an interview to the US media, Bloomberg, following the end of the boycott his country was subjected to by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt.

During the interview the foreign minister expressed Qatar's wish to work towards getting the Gulf countries to begin talks with one of their main allies, Iran. The sheikh expressed his hope that this dialogue could take place and, according to him, the wish to initiate dialogue is shared by other countries belonging to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which held its 41st summit a fortnight ago.

Mr Al-Thani raised the possibility of a summit meeting between the six GCC member countries - Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait - and the Islamic Republic of Iran. He furthermore pointed out that Joe Biden's arrival at the White House and the possibility that he would reduce pressure on Teheran would create an ideal context for the capitals aligned with Washington, chiefly Riyadh, to welcome the beginning of relations with the country of the ayatollahs.

Following al-Ula's declaration, Qatar was freed from the blockade imposed by its neighbours, among other reasons because of the good relations between Iran and Qatar. However, it is an ambitious proposal for which the United States' position with Iran will be key, as Trump's tough stance was widely applauded in the Gulf.

The Qatari let it be known that the new US president's regional policy will be more flexible and that the excellent relationship between Washington and Doha could be a powerful argument for Qatar to be able to mediate between these two countries, which are at odds over the nuclear issue, among other things. An example of the shift in US policy towards the region is the appointment of some of the people who took part in the signing and development of the nuclear agreement from which Trump later decided to pull out.

Pending the outcome of America's efforts, Qatar wishes to become a leading interlocutor in all matters relating to Iran, taking advantage of its full return to a forum such as the Council