Iran president, Qatar emir meet on sidelines of Moscow summit

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani met Tuesday in Moscow to discuss expanding political, economic and energy ties, according to Iranian state media.

The talks took place on the sidelines of the eighth Gas Exporting Countries Forum summit. The intergovernmental organization brings together major natural gas-producing nations, including Iran, Russia, Qatar and Algeria.

Iranian state television reported that the leaders "reviewed the current state of relations between Tehran and Doha and emphasized the importance of deepening political and economic ties and making use of existing potential to strengthen bilateral cooperation."

The official IRNA news agency added that discussions included strengthening coordination among gas-exporting countries.

State media reports, however, made no mention of the ongoing Middle East war, which began with Feb. 28 U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran. Tehran responded to those attacks with missile and drone strikes across the region, including Qatar.

Qatar has played a central role in mediation efforts in recent months, working to end the regional conflict and facilitating ongoing negotiations between Iran and the U.S.

Pezeshkian is scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin later Tuesday. In an Instagram post, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the talks will follow up on discussions held during Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's Oct. 19 visit to Tehran.

In early October, Putin stated that Russia is also prepared to help mediate an end to the war in the Middle East.