On the sidelines of the meeting between the two leaders, Doha and Tehran signed several agreements to enhance cooperation between the two countries.

The Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has welcomed Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian in Qatar, and held official discussions over bilateral relations and regional escalations, namely Israel’s aggression on the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.

The meeting took place on Wednesday at the Lusail Palace, where Sheikh Tamim welcomed the Iranian president. It is Pezeshkian’s first official visit to the Gulf state since he was elected in July, following the death of his predecessor Ebrahim Raisi in May.

The Iranian president is also scheduled to attend the 19th Asia Cooperation Dialogue Summit in Doha on Thursday where world leaders and officials will also be in attendance.

“Happy to receive the president of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian. This visit reflects the common desire of our two brotherly countries to continue strengthening constructive cooperation relations at all levels,” Sheikh Tamim said on X.

Sheikh Tamim noted that the meeting came “at a critical stage in the Middle East in light of the ongoing aggression on the Gaza Strip, the occupied Palestinian territories and Lebanon”.

“The State of Qatar will continue its endeavours and efforts aimed at achieving the desired security, stability and peace in the region and the world,” the Qatari leader added.

The meeting took place a day after Iran launched dozens of ballistic missiles against Israel, in retaliation for the killing of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh on its territories in July. The attack was also a response to the killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah as well as top Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps commander Abbas Nilforushan in Beirut last week.

During the press conference in Doha, Pezeshkian warned of a strong response if Israel carries out further escalatory moves against it, after Benjamin Netanyahu’s government threatened to respond to Tehran’s latest retaliatory attacks.

“We will respond more strongly and harshly if Israel responds to us,” Pezeshkian said. “The security of the region is the security of all Muslims and we do not look forward to war, but we look forward to peace and calm,” he added.

The Iranian leader went on to say that “what the Zionist entity is doing is expanding the circle of violence”.

Qatar’s amir, whose country has been a central mediator between Israel and Hamas, also highlighted Israel’s “malicious aggression on Lebanon and the Gaza Strip”.

“The latest escalation in Lebanon is what we have been warning of since the beginning of the Israeli aggression [on the Gaza Strip], which has continued to increase,” he said.

Israel’s ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, widely referred to as a genocide, is approaching its one-year mark next week, with more than 41,689 killed, mainly women and children.

Israeli forces have also killed nearly 2,000 people in Lebanon since October 8, with the figure expected to increase amid intensified attacks on the country reminiscent of the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.

In his latest press remarks, Sheikh Tamim reaffirmed the need for Israel to end its “unjust war” in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon while reiterating Doha’s commitment to continuing mediation efforts.

“Because mediation is a strategic option within Qatar’s foreign policy, we stress that we will continue our mediation efforts to put an end to the war in Gaza[…]despite the complications caused by Israel’s continuous military escalations,” the Qatari leader stressed.

Bilateral relations

The meeting between the Qatari and Iranian leader saw a mutual interest in developing bilateral relations.

“We look forward to strengthening relations with the State of Qatar and we have a common will to enhance cooperation,” Pezeshkian said.

On the sidelines of the two leaders’ meeting, Doha and Tehran signed a joint declaration on enhancing cultural cooperation, according to Qatar’s state news agency (QNA). 

Both countries also signed three executive programmes, with one focusing on cultural and technical cooperation for the years 2024 to 2026. The second another extended the educational and scientific cooperation agreement through 2027, and the third addressed youth and sports initiatives for 2025 and 2026.

Additionally, Qatar and Iran also signed a memorandum of understanding over the development project of Port of Dayyer in the Islamic Republic, a move that could boost both countries’ economic relations.

The visit of the Iranian president also saw the signing of a protocol to enhance cooperation in the field of animal health and welfare as well as live animal trade.