Causes of Qatar's tendency for mediation

Qatar is a country located in the east of the Arabian Peninsula and in the southern part of the Persian Gulf. Qatar itself is a small peninsula, surrounded by the sea from west, north and east. It shares a land border with Saudi Arabia and a sea border with Iran. (Photos reprinted from Yahoo’s image)

 

Qatar became independent in 1971, and Iran was one of the first countries to recognize its independence after the United Kingdom. In the 1970s, the Qatari government sought to use Iran as a guarantor of its security and stability in the region.

 

Earlier, from the very beginning of the sanctions, the Qatari authorities, led by Riyadh, tried to protect themselves from the heavy consequences of the sanctions by approaching Tehran. Therefore, Iran's relations with Qatar increased widely. In recent years, Doha has sought to focus both on US and European superpowers in the Middle East and to expand its ties with other governments in the region.

 

 One of the most important strategies and priorities of Qatari politicians is to reduce tensions in the Persian Gulf region. Over the past decade, Qatar has sought to pursue hosting and mediation between the Arabs and Israel, Afghanistan and the Taliban, Iran with the Gulf Cooperation Council, and Iran with the United States (following the escalation of Iran-US tension).

 

 

In fact, by reducing tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia, Qatar is trying to increase its political weight and soft power.

 

Qatari energy diplomacy is also more successful due to its positive relationship with Iran, the reduction of tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia, and the maintenance of security in the region. In addition, one of the main strategic goals of Qatar's efforts has been maintaining of its survival and security.

 

The country has strengthened its survival and security by expanding its relations and strengthening ties. Since Iran and Qatar have a common gas field (South Pars), reducing tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia in the region and continuing cooperation in this area is in Qatar's interest.

 

From Doha's point of view, Iran and Saudi Arabia are two important parts of the region's geography. Over the past decade, given the continuing regional rivalries between Iran and Saudi Arabia, Doha now sees helping to reduce tensions between two major players in the region as an opportunity for better foreign policy in the region. In another dimension, trying to turn Qatar into a center of regional diplomacy and mediation in the region is one of the most important strategies and priorities of politicians in Doha.

 

Vision:

Doha’s readiness to mediate between Riyadh and Tehran and reduce tensions as is while Qatar's relation with Saudi Arabia is returning to normal. In the meantime, with Biden coming to power and the opening of his negotiations with Iran, Riyadh seems to want to participate in Washington's negotiations with Tehran and to reduce tensions with Iran in this period. On the other hand, the Saudis are seeking to change their regional approach due to Biden's entry into the White House.

 

On the other hand, the welcoming of Qatar's mediation in talks between Iran and Arab countries by Iranian Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif is while, after several years of tension and severance of the relations (Sheikh Nimr and the attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran), Tehran is not reluctant to reduce the tensions and begin the process of normalization of relations with Saudi.

 

What is clear is that with Biden’s presidency, US policy in the Middle East will change. Qatar now thinks it can play the role of a builder of peace and reduce tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia in a better negotiating position.

However, although the process of normalization of Iran-Saudi Arabia relations requires several contexts and conditions from both actors, but Qatar's efforts, along with the provision of other variables can reduce tensions in the short term and gradually pave the way for normalization of relationships.

 

Farzad Ramezani Bonesh

Senior Researcher and Analyst of International Affairs