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Zarif discusses Iran general’s killing with Qatar counterpart
TEHRAN, Jan 5, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad
Zarif hosted his Qatari counterpart Saturday for talks in Tehran amid
escalating tensions after US forces killed a top Iranian military commander
in Baghdad.
Zarif and Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani discussed “the new situation in
Iraq and the assassination of General haj Qasem Soleimani” as well as
regional and international issues, Iran’s foreign ministry said in a
statement.
The US military killed Soleimani on Friday in an air strike outside Baghdad
international airport that shocked the Islamic republic and sparked fears of
a new war in the Middle East.
In his meeting with the Qatari foreign minister, Zarif called the US attack
a “terrorist act” that led to the “martyrdom” of the commander.
“Iran does not want tension in the region, and it is the presence and
interference of foreign forces that cause instability, insecurity and
increased tension in our sensitive region,” he said.
According to Iran’s foreign ministry, Thani said the situation in the
region was sensitive and concerning. He called for a peaceful solution to be
found leading to de-escalation.
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani also met with the Qatari foreign minister.
Qatar, a key US ally in the region, is home to Washington’s largest
military base in the Middle East.
Its relationship with Shiite-dominated Iran, seen as the major rival to
Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia in the region, is one of the major factors
underpinning a crisis between Qatar and its former allies.
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt all cut ties with
Qatar in 2017, accusing Doha of backing extremism and fostering ties with
Iran, charges that Qatar denies.
BSS/AFP/MSY/0946 hrs