Qatar resumes full diplomatic relations with Iran
August 24, 2017 - Qatar restored full diplomatic relations with Iran and promised to send its ambassador back to Tehran soon.
“The state of Qatar expressed its aspiration to strengthen bilateral relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran in all fields,” a short Foreign Ministry statement issued early on Thursday, said, AP reported.
The statement said that Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani spoke by phone to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif.
Qatar pulled its ambassador from Tehran in early 2016 after Saudi Arabia's execution of a prominent Shia cleric sparked attacks by radical demonstrators on two Saudi diplomatic posts in Iran, a move to show solidarity with the kingdom.
In announcing its decision, Qatar made no mention of the diplomatic crisis roiling Persian Gulf Arab nations since June, when Doha found its land, sea and air routes cut off by four Arab states.
Iran, which welcomed Doha's decision, has sent food to Qatar and allowed its airplanes to increasingly use the Islamic Republic's airspace.
“We welcome the Qatari government measure to return the ambassador,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi said, according to IRNA.
Despite recalling its ambassador in 2016, Qatar maintained its valuable commercial ties to Iran. Qatar and Iran share a massive offshore natural gas field, called the South Pars Field by Tehran and the North Field by Doha.
The gas field’s vast reserves made Qataris have the highest per capita income in the world, and it has funded the nation’s Al Jazeera satellite news network and secured hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup.