Qatar is intensifying regional mediation efforts despite the Iran war bringing airstrikes and cutting off Doha's access to global oil markets. But can Qatar leverage its ties to the US and Iran for its own benefit?

In Qatar's capital Doha, mediation efforts between the United States and Iran have been running at a clip. In recent days, Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has held calls with officials in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Turkey, Kuwait and others to discuss "regional tensions" and "efforts aimed at de-escalation in the region."

Last week and during the weekend, Al Thani also met US Vice President JD Vance, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House envoy Steve Witkoff as part of efforts to permanently end the war with Iran, according to the news outlet Axios.

While the Qatari prime minister has repeatedly said Doha fully supports Pakistan's leading mediation role, this appears to show the Gulf state is increasingly expanding its own diplomatic outreach. Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House, told DW that "Qatar is playing a vital behind-the-scenes role" and is key in bridging divides between Tehran and Washington.

US officials said, according to Axios, that Qataris had been "especially effective in negotiations in Iran." Anna Jacobs, a Gulf analyst at the Arab Gulf States Institute, also points out that "Qatar has a longer history and experience of US and Iran mediation, as well as intimate knowledge of the Gulf regional security landscape in ways that Pakistan just doesn't."

Successful mediation would also deliver domestic gains for Qatar. Doha's efforts prioritize de-escalation and reaching a workable agreement that could keep the Strait of Hormuz open and safe for commercial shipping. Qatar, a close US ally, was heavily targeted by Iranian missiles and drones following US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February.

Qatar, the world's second-largest LNG producer, also had to suspend production in March after Iran struck its main gas facility, Ras Laffan. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has halted oil exports from Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait, and sharply restricted shipments from Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Signs that efforts may be easing tensions emerged Sunday, when the Financial Times reported that, for the first time since the war began on February 28, a tanker carrying Qatari LNG bound for Pakistan had passed through the Strait of Hormuz. On Tuesday, a second LNG tanker was reported approaching the strait en route to Pakistan. Reuters said Iran approved the transfer to build confidence with mediators.

For decades, Qatar has positioned diplomacy and mediation as cornerstones of its regional strategy. Doha has close ties with Washington, a strong working relationship with Tehran, as well as with the Taliban, the Muslim Brotherhood, and non-state actors in Syria. However, analysts note that it ultimately remains up to the US and Iran to end the conflict, and this still seems far off.

Source: www.dw.com