Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman stated that the control of the Strait of Hormuz by one party is unacceptable , and expressed his country's rejection of any Iranian plans to impose shipping fees.
In an interview with the British newspaper “Financial Times”, he said: “Navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is supposed to return to normal levels within 30 days of the implementation of the memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran.”
He continued: “Things cannot return to normal in one day; it will require a lot of effort.”
He warned that the damage the war had inflicted on the global economy would take time to repair even if the strait were fully opened.
He stressed that shortages of basic commodities, such as fertilizers, urea and petrochemicals, will be felt in the coming months.
On June 18, Washington and Tehran signed the memorandum, and on Sunday they began negotiations in Switzerland, mediated by Qatar and Pakistan, to conclude an agreement to end the war that the United States and Israel started against Iran on February 28.
Among the provisions of the memorandum are: lifting the US naval blockade on Iran, and reopening the strategic Strait of Hormuz for global energy supplies, the closure of which has caused oil and gas prices to rise and inflation levels to increase.
The Qatari Prime Minister added that the Strait of Hormuz remains open, and Qatar has received assurances (from Iran) that no decision has been made to close it.
He stressed the importance of having a direct channel of communication between Washington and Tehran, to avoid any obstacles that might hinder the reopening of the strait or the removal of potential mines in it.
He considered the agreed-upon line of communication via Switzerland to be essential for countering misinformation, and believed that any future arrangements for managing the Strait should be discussed with the participation of Iran, Oman, and the rest of the Gulf states.
On Tuesday evening, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman began a visit to the Sultanate of Oman, following Muscat's announcement of its agreement with Tehran to form a joint working group to reach an agreement on managing navigation in Hormuz and related services.
He said in the interview that "a situation in which our gateway to the world is under the control of one party is unacceptable."
He continued: “This is against international protocol. For Qatar, it is our only waterway.”
He stressed that Qatar rejects any Iranian plan to impose fees on navigation in the strait.
When asked whether extending the ceasefire for 60 days would be sufficient to reach a final settlement, Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman replied that the goal was to secure “at least a general agreement.”
He added: “There are many technical aspects that may take longer. Detailed agreements can be reached later, as was the case with the nuclear agreement.”
He added: “As for regional security, if the will is there and we intensify our efforts, we can achieve that sooner.”
Regional security framework
On the regional front, the Prime Minister stated that the next phase requires working on building a new security framework that includes the countries of the region and Iran, in order to contribute to strengthening regional stability.
Regarding Lebanon, he said that the United States and Iran had agreed on a "conflict resolution" mechanism to stop the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
He explained that one of the key elements of this mechanism is to verify ceasefire violations, through coordination between the Lebanese government, the US Central Command, Iran, and mediators.
He added that “the Israeli government has escalated conflicts instead of de-escalating and trying to engage in a constructive and responsible manner.”
Although the memorandum of understanding stipulates a cessation of hostilities in Lebanon, Israel continues an aggression that began on March 2nd, which has left 4,192 dead and more than one million displaced, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.
Iran Fund
The memorandum of understanding stipulates the preparation of a plan worth no less than $300 billion for the reconstruction and economic development of Iran, in cooperation with regional partners, with the implementation mechanisms to be completed within a final agreement within 60 days.
Regarding this fund, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman described the $300 billion figure as "ambitious".
He continued: “Our goal is for Iran to prosper and for its economy to grow, and our investment has always been based on purely commercial decisions.”
He continued: “Part of what we are doing now, as regional states, is establishing this regional security framework between us and Iran,
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