Majed Al-Ansari, spokesperson for Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, outlined diplomatic efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and implement the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire at a press conference in Doha.
Al-Ansari said reopening the Strait of Hormuz as soon as possible was a priority on Qatar's mediation agenda. He said they had received positive responses from Iran and Oman in the talks and expressed support for formulas that would guarantee security in the strait and freedom of maritime navigation.
US-Iran tensions and regional cooperation
Al-Ansari said negotiations between the United States and Iran were continuing, adding that diplomatic efforts were ongoing to end the tensions, bring the parties back to the negotiating table and open the Strait of Hormuz to free passage.
Al-Ansari said Qatar welcomed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement signed by Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, adding that regional security required shared responsibility and coordination. He said they supported regional cooperation that would strengthen security and stability.
Work on the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire
Speaking about the ceasefire process in Gaza, Al-Ansari announced that Qatar, Egypt and Türkiye were continuing their efforts to implement the second phase of the ceasefire agreement as soon as possible.
Al-Ansari argued that the international community should take a clear stance against Israel's actions in Gaza and the West Bank. He said Israel was pursuing a policy of delay regarding implementation of the Gaza Agreement and stated that they expected the international community to pressure Israel to put the agreement into effect.
The previous stage of the Hormuz talks
In the first phase of the agreement reached between Iran and the United States on June 14 through Pakistan's mediation, the Strait of Hormuz was to be opened and Iran was not to charge fees for passages through the strategic waterway for 60 days. This arrangement was tied to the condition that the United States release Iran's frozen assets.
The chronology stated that, after the agreement, the United States did not release Iran's frozen assets and designated an alternative route for Hormuz passages through Omani territorial waters. It also described Iran's assessment of these steps as a violation of the agreement, its restriction of passages through the strait and its firing on some vessels attempting to pass without authorization.
Tensions between Iran and the United States escalated into intense clashes on July 8 and continued for about two weeks. Iran later resumed technical and political talks with Oman, which borders the strait, to establish safe passage routes for vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
