Qatar Emir, Trump discuss de-escalation as US, Iran pursue diplomacy

Feb 11 (Reuters) - Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and U.S. President Donald Trump discussed efforts for regional de-escalation and stability in a phone call, the Emiri Diwan said on Wednesday, as Washington and Tehran pursue diplomatic solutions to Iran’s nuclear program.

The call comes ahead of a meeting between Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu where the Israeli prime minister is expected to press him to widen U.S. talks with Iran to include curbs on Tehran’s missile arsenal and other security threats beyond its nuclear programme.

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Qatar has been engaging in diplomatic efforts with regional allies to ease tensions between Washington and Tehran to avert the threat of a military confrontation between the longtime adversaries.

Ali Larijani, an adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, arrived in Qatar on Wednesday and was expected to meet with the emir, as Washington and Tehran prepare to resume negotiations.

The two countries held indirect talks in Oman last week, which a spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry said had allowed Tehran to gauge Washington’s seriousness and showed enough consensus for diplomacy to continue.

The emir and Trump discussed “supporting diplomatic efforts aimed at addressing crises through dialogue and peaceful means,” the Diwan said.

Doha has also been mediating between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza war, alongside the U.S. and Egypt.

Reporting by Nayera Abdallah and Jana Choukeir; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Anil D’Silva

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