Doha and Tehran working to revive the nuclear deal

The Doha Foreign Minister met with his Iranian counterpart in Tehran. Qatar hopes for a return of the United States "as soon as possible". Zarif is committed to strengthening relations with regional powers. The Islamic Republic threatens new restrictions on the work of IAEA inspectors.

Tehran (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Qatar's foreign minister met his counterpart in Tehran after Doha expressed its intention to mediate between Iran and the United States on the 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA) that was later dissolved by Donald Trump.

The meeting comes as the pact between the Islamic Republic and world powers - aimed at limiting the ayatollahs nuclear program in exchange for the reduction of international punitive measures - hangs by a thread and with Europe trying to relaunch its role as mediator.

Doha, an important US ally in the region, has also maintained good relations with Iran for some time. Head of diplomacy Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani met his counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif yesterday in Tehran. During the visit, he also spoke with President Hassan Rouhani, to whom he delivered a message from the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.

At the end of the summit, Qatar's foreign minister underlined the hope that "with the return of the United States to the nuclear agreement as soon as possible, the challenges and sanctions can be lifted" and Doha "will spare no effort to ensure that that this happens ".

Zarif said he was satisfied with the end of the blockade of the Gulf nations against the emirate and confirmed his intention to increasingly strengthen relations with Qatar and the regional powers.

In May 2018, outgoing US President Donald Trump ordered the United States pull out from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA),​​ signed by his predecessor Barack Obama in 2015, despite the opposition of the international community. 

Trump followed the withdrawal by imposing the toughest sanctions in history against Iran. The decision has negatively impacted the Iranian economy as noted by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Covid 19 emergency only worsened the situation for the population. In response, Tehran threatened to resume uranium enrichment for civilian purposes and has already surpassed uranium reserves.

The new US President Joe Biden said he wanted to return to the agreement, but asked Tehran to fully comply with the established criteria, while Tehran wants the sanctions to be lifted immediately.

 In recent days, the Islamic Republic has feared new restrictions on visits by nuclear inspectors in the event that the sanctions themselves are not relaxed or that there will be no aid from third countries to break the deadlock. The date set by the Iranian ambassador to the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) is 23 February.

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