Iranian delegation in Qatar for peace talks, frozen funds
A high-level Iranian delegation headed by the country’s top negotiator arrived in Doha, Qatar on Monday in a surprise visit as part of ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the war with the United States and secure the release of frozen Iranian funds.
“The trip is part of the diplomatic process that began in recent weeks through Pakistan’s mediation to end the conflict,” official news agency IRNA said.
According to Tasnim and Fars news agencies, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf was accompanied by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati.
Fars reported that Hemmati travelled to Qatar to “review the release of frozen assets.”
IRNA said the delegation would confer about “certain aspects related to negotiations to end the war” with senior Qatari officials.
The Iranian visit came after a Qatari delegation flew to Tehran last week to discuss mediation efforts between Iran and the US.
One of Tehran’s demands in negotiations with Washington to end the war launched by the United States and Israel on February 28 is the release of its frozen financial assets.
According to Fars, Washington agreed to free part of Tehran’s blocked overseas assets and its lift the naval blockade on vessels travelling to and from Iranian ports in return for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
In 2023, $6 billion in Iranian assets frozen in South Korean banks was transferred to Qatar pending the release of five US citizens detained by Iran, according to AFP.
The funds were never released after relations between Washington and Tehran deteriorated following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Pakistan has so far served as the main mediator in peace negotiations between the United States and Iran.
The talks, which have continued since the implementation of a ceasefire on April 8, are aimed at reaching a comprehensive deal to end to the war.
In recent weeks, Qatar, which has previously mediated between Iran and the US, appears to have been stepping up its role in advancing negotiations.
Earlier this month, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani met senior US officials including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the United States to push forward diplomacy.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz since early March, through which around one-fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas normally flows, has also halted vital Persian Gulf maritime exports, including Qatar’s LNG shipments.