Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani discussed with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, cooperation between the two countries and developments in the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories.

In a phone call the Qatari minister received from his Iranian counterpart, they reviewed cooperation relations between the two countries and ways to support and strengthen them, according to a statement published by the Qatari Foreign Ministry on the X platform.

According to the statement, the two ministers discussed "developments in the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories, in addition to a number of issues of common interest."

The negotiations between them come amid heightened tensions in the region, due to the ongoing Israeli war of extermination against the Gaza Strip and its repercussions across the region, from the West Bank, Lebanon, and Syria to Yemen and the Red Sea region.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel, with full American support, has been committing genocidal crimes in Gaza, leaving more than 167,000 Palestinians dead and wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 11,000 missing.

Bin Abdul Rahman, who also serves as Prime Minister, reiterated Qatar's "welcome to the negotiations taking place between Iran and the United States in the Sultanate of Oman," according to the statement.

During the call, he also stressed "Qatar's continued efforts with regional and international partners to de-escalate and promote stability and peace in the region."

On Saturday, the first round of indirect negotiations between the United States and Iran, mediated by the Sultanate of Oman, was held in the capital, Muscat, to reach a deal on Tehran's nuclear program. A second round was agreed upon next week.

The US delegation was headed by Special Presidential Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff, while Araghchi led the Iranian delegation.

The two countries said in a statement and official statements that the talks on the nuclear issue and the lifting of sanctions "took place in a positive and constructive atmosphere."

On the eve of the start of negotiations, the White House warned of "expensive American options" if a new agreement on Iran's nuclear program failed, stressing that President Trump prefers to resolve the issue through direct talks with Tehran.

The United States, along with Israel and other countries, accuses Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons, while Tehran insists that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, including electricity generation.

Trump's announcement of these negotiations came as a surprise to Tel Aviv, which had long urged the US administration to support military action against Iranian nuclear facilities, according to Hebrew media.