DOHA, Qatar: Qatar said on Tuesday that there was broad international backing for Pakistan-mediated peace talks between the United States and Iran, as diplomatic efforts intensified ahead of a new round of negotiations in Islamabad.
“We do not want to talk about the failure of the negotiations,” Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said during a press briefing.
“The entire world is supporting these negotiations, including us. And we are supporting our brothers in Pakistan.”
His remarks came as a high-level US delegation was due to arrive in Islamabad for the second round of talks with Iranian officials.
Qatar in contact with all parties
Spokesperson Ansari said Qatar remained in close contact with all stakeholders ahead of the talks, including Washington.
“Qatar is in contact with all parties, including the US, regarding the Islamabad talks,” he said.
The spokesperson added that Doha viewed mediation as an effective tool if it helps parties move closer to a political solution.
He stressed that Gulf states were maintaining continuous coordination.
“All Gulf countries are in direct contact with different parties on a daily basis,” he said.
“The crisis is ours, and the crisis of our region. That’s why we have direct contacts.”
Strait of Hormuz crisis
Qatar warned that prolonged disruption in the Strait of Hormuz could escalate beyond the region.
“Resolving the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz is a collective responsibility,” Ansari said.
“Continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz turns the crisis from regional to an international crisis.”
China backs Pakistan’s mediation role
Meanwhile, China also expressed concern over the situation in the Strait of Hormuz.
China’s foreign ministry said it hoped transit through the strategic waterway would return to normal soon.
China urged both Washington and Tehran to maintain momentum in diplomatic engagement.
In Islamabad, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong met Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
During the meeting, the Chinese ambassador conveyed Beijing’s “full support for and appreciation of Pakistan’s continued efforts to facilitate engagement between US and Iran for sustained peace and stability in the region and beyond,” the Foreign Office said.
US delegation heads to Islamabad
A high-level United States delegation led by Vice President JD Vance is scheduled to arrive in Islamabad on Tuesday for the second round of talks with Iran.
US President Donald Trump said the delegation, including special envoy Steve Witzkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner, had departed late Monday.
“They’re heading over now… they’ll be there tonight, Islamabad time,” Trump told the New York Post.
“We’re supposed to have the talks, so I would assume at this point nobody’s playing games.”
Pakistan is hosting the talks following an earlier round this month that helped maintain direct communication between Washington and Tehran despite heightened tensions.
The negotiations come as a 14-day ceasefire between the United States and Iran, brokered by Pakistan earlier this month, is set to expire on April 22.
