(DUBAI, United Arab Emirates) — Qatar has restored full diplomatic relations with Iran, ignoring the demands of Arab nations now trying to isolate the energy-rich country to downgrade its ties.

Qatar's Foreign Ministry announced early Thursday that the country's ambassador would return to Tehran. Qatar pulled its ambassador in early 2016 after Saudi Arabia's execution of a prominent Shiite cleric sparked attacks on two Saudi diplomatic posts in Iran.

Qatar said in a statement that the move "expressed its aspiration to strengthen bilateral relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran in all fields." Iranian state media acknowledged the development, without elaborating.

Qatar and Iran share a massive offshore natural gas field that requires communication between the two countries. Since the diplomatic dispute with Arab nations began in June, Iran has sent food shipments to Qatar. </s> Doha: Qatar is to restore full diplomatic relations with regional power Iran, its foreign ministry announced on Thursday, in a significant move at a time of diplomatic friction within the Gulf.

A statement from the ministry said Qatar aimed to bolster relations between the two countries, which share the world's largest natural gas field.

"The State of Qatar announced today (Thursday) that its ambassador to Tehran will return to exercise its diplomatic duties," read the statement.

Qatar was also seeking to "strengthen bilateral relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran in all fields", it added.

Doha pulled its ambassador from Tehran in January 2016 following attacks on the Saudi Arabian embassy, spurred by Riyadh's decision to execute a Shiite cleric in the kingdom.

The decision to restore ties comes as Qatar is locked in a diplomatic impasse with Iran's great regional rival, Saudi Arabia, which has accused Doha of ties to Shiite Iran and support for Sunni Islamist extremist groups. Qatar denies the accusations.

On 5 June, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates severed all diplomatic and trade ties with Qatar in what has become the worst political crisis to grip the Gulf region in decades.

Ironically, the crisis may have pushed Iran and Qatar closer together.

Qatar's move may be seen as provocative among those countries which have cut ties, but Saudi Arabia and its allies have not yet responded.

Political and business leaders in Qatar have argued that they have to maintain ties with Iran because of the gas field, which Doha calls the North Field and in Tehran is known as South Pars.

Qatar has also turned to Iran to help food imports as previously most supplies came through Saudi Arabia, which sealed off Qatar's only land border as part of the boycott. </s> Doha

 Qatar restored full diplomatic relations with Iran on Thursday, disregarding the demands of Arab nations now locked in a regional dispute with the energy-rich country that it lessen its ties to Tehran.In announcing its decision, Qatar did not mention the diplomatic crisis roiling Gulf Arab nations since June, when it found its land, sea and air routes cut off by its neighbours over Doha’s policies across the Mideast.The move comes just days after Saudi Arabia began promoting a Qatari royal family member whose branch of the family was ousted in a palace coup in 1972.“Qatar has shown it is going to go in a different direction,” said Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, a research fellow at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University who lives in Seattle. “It could very well be calculated toward reinforcing the point that Qatar will not bow to this regional pressure placed upon it.”Qatar’s Foreign Ministry announced early on Thursday that the country’s ambassador would return to Tehran.Iranian state media acknowledged the development, without elaborating. Despite recalling its ambassador in 2016, Iran and Qatar maintained their valuable commercial ties.—AP </s> Qatar restored full diplomatic relations with Iran early today, disregarding the demands of Arab nations now locked in a regional dispute with the energy-rich country that it lessen its ties to Tehran.

In announcing its decision, Qatar did not mention the diplomatic crisis roiling Gulf Arab nations since June, when Qatar found its land, sea and air routes cut off by its neighbors over Doha's policies across the Mideast.

However, the move comes just days after Saudi Arabia began promoting a Qatari royal family member whose branch of the family was ousted in a palace coup in 1972.

"Qatar has shown it is going to go in a different direction," said Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, a research fellow at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University who lives in Seattle.

"It could very well be calculated toward reinforcing the point that Qatar will not bow to this regional pressure placed upon it."

Qatar's Foreign Ministry announced early Thursday that the country's ambassador would return to Tehran. Qatar pulled its ambassador in early 2016 after Saudi Arabia's execution of a prominent Shiite cleric sparked attacks on two Saudi diplomatic posts in Iran, a move to show solidarity with the kingdom.

"The state of Qatar expressed its aspiration to strengthen bilateral relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran in all fields," a short Foreign Ministry statement said. Iranian state media acknowledged the development, without elaborating.

Despite recalling its ambassador in 2016, Iran and Qatar maintained their valuable commercial ties. Qatar and Iran share a massive offshore natural gas field, called the South Pars Field by Tehran and the North Field by Doha.

That gas field's vast reserves made Qataris have the highest per capita income in the world, as well as funded the nation's Al-Jazeera satellite news network and secured hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup. </s> Qatar said on Thursday it will restore full diplomatic ties with Iran, in defiance of four Arab countries that have demanded Doha cuts all relations with Tehran.

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, have said they will only ease a diplomatic and economic boycott on the small Gulf country after it severs its ties with Iran.

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said its ambassador to Tehran will resume his diplomatic duties, 20 months after the country recalled the envoy to protest an attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran by Iranian demonstrators angered by Riyadh’s execution of a prominent Shiite cleric.

“Qatar looks forward to strengthening ties with the Islamic republic of Iran in all fields,” read the statement, without providing a date for the envoy’s return.

The announcement was made shortly after Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed Abdulrahman discussed with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Zarif ways to boost bilateral relations.

The move comes amid a regional dispute, which began in June when the four other countries cut ties and transportation links with Qatar because of its alleged support for terrorism, a charge that Doha denies.

It also comes one week after Saudi Arabia praised an intervention by a member of the Qatari royal family, whose brother was ousted from power by the current ruler’s grandfather.

Abdullah Ali is the brother of Ahmad Al Thani, who was the emir of Qatar from 1960 to 1972, when the current ruler Tamim Hamad’s grandfather ousted him from power.

Abdullah, who has met both Saudi King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed Salman, has been portrayed in both Saudi and Egyptian media as a possible replacement for the current ruler Tamim.

After the meeting, Saudi Arabia opened its land border with Qatar, which was closed in June, to allow Qatari pilgrims into the country ahead of the annual hajj pilgrimage, set to begin on Aug. 30.

To restore relations with Qatar, the Arab quartet said it must: downgrade ties with Iran, Saudi Arabia’s regional rival; halt its support for Islamist groups; and shut down Doha-based broadcaster Al Jazeera.

In July, Saudi Arabia warned that any closer ties between Doha and Tehran “would only invite more troubles for Qatar.” </s> Qatar has defied Saudi Arabia by strengthening its diplomatic ties with Iran - rather than cutting them back as Saudi Arabia and its allies have demanded.

Saudi Arabia and three other Arab states have been blockading Qatar since early June and have demanded that Qatar curb its ties with Iran, as well as shut down its al-Jazeera television network and expel extremists from its territory.

Rather than give in to the blockading countries’ demands, Qatar announced on Thursday that it was restoring full diplomatic relations with Iran and sending its ambassador back to Tehran for the first time since 2016.

"The state of Qatar expressed its aspiration to strengthen bilateral relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran in all fields," The Qatari foreign ministry said.

There was no immediate response from Saudi Arabia or its allies in Bahrain, UAE and Egypt to the diplomatic move. </s> Passengers of cancelled flights wait in Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar, on June 5, 2017, after Saudi Arabia and other Arab powers severed diplomatic ties with Qatar and moved to isolate the energy-rich nation.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Qatar restored full diplomatic relations with Iran early Thursday, disregarding the demands of Arab nations now locked in a regional dispute with the energy-rich country that it lessen its ties to Tehran.

In announcing its decision, Qatar did not mention the diplomatic crisis roiling Gulf Arab nations since June, when Qatar found its land, sea and air routes cut off by its neighbors over Doha's policies across the Mideast.

However, the move comes just days after Saudi Arabia began promoting a Qatari royal family member whose branch of the family was ousted in a palace coup in 1972.

"Qatar has shown it is going to go in a different direction," said Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, a research fellow at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University who lives in Seattle. "It could very well be calculated toward reinforcing the point that Qatar will not bow to this regional pressure placed upon it."

Qatar's Foreign Ministry announced early Thursday that the country's ambassador would return to Tehran. Qatar pulled its ambassador in early 2016 after Saudi Arabia's execution of a prominent Shiite cleric sparked attacks on two Saudi diplomatic posts in Iran, a move to show solidarity with the kingdom.

"The state of Qatar expressed its aspiration to strengthen bilateral relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran in all fields," a short Foreign Ministry statement said.

Iranian state media acknowledged the development, without elaborating.

 Despite recalling its ambassador in 2016, Iran and Qatar maintained their valuable commercial ties. Qatar and Iran share a massive offshore natural gas field, called the South Pars Field by Tehran and the North Field by Doha.

That gas field's vast reserves made Qataris have the highest per capita income in the world, as well as funded the nation's Al-Jazeera satellite news network and secured hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Since the diplomatic dispute with Arab nations began in June, Iran has sent food shipments to Qatar. Shiite power Iran also has incorporated the crisis into its regular criticism of the Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia, part of the two Mideast powers' long-running proxy war.

There was no immediate reaction from the Arab nations boycotting Qatar. On Wednesday, the Central African nation of Chad announced it would close its embassy in Doha, accusing Qatar of trying to destabilize it from neighboring Libya.

The diplomatic crisis began June 5, when Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates cut ties to Qatar over allegations including it funding extremists and being too close to Iran. Qatar long has denied funding extremists.

The boycotting countries later issued a list of 13 demands to Qatar, including that Doha shut its diplomatic posts in Iran. Qatar ignored the demands and let a deadline to comply pass, creating an apparent stalemate in the crisis. Attempts by Kuwait, the U.S. and others have failed to make headway.

In recent days, however, Saudi Arabia announced it would allow Qataris to make the annual hajj pilgrimage, which is required of all able-bodied Muslims once in their life. Saudi state media said that came in part due to an intercession by Qatari royal family member Sheikh Abdullah Al Thani, who met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and later a vacationing King Salman in Morocco.

But Sheikh Abdullah has no role in Qatar's government and his last position was as head of the equestrian and camel racing federation decades ago. Sheikh Abdullah's grandfather, father and brother were rulers of Qatar until a palace coup ousted his branch of the royal family in 1972 and a prominent Saudi columnist has suggested the sheikh could be the start of a Qatari government-in-exile.

Ulrichsen cautioned that so far, the Saudi moves appeared to be more needling than anything else.

"Given that a formal escalation in terms of sanctions is probably off the table for now, we're seeing this informal pressure on Qatar ... to try and perhaps stir the pot," the professor said. "I think the informal pressure is increasing because of the lack of formal alternative measures they can realistically hope to place on Qatar." </s> Qatar says will restore full diplomatic ties with Iran

“Qatar looks forward to strengthening ties with the Islamic republic of Iran in all fields.”

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Also, Like us on facebook </s> RIYADH: Bahrain sees no resolution in sight to a diplomatic row between Qatar and its neighbors, which cut diplomatic and trade ties with the tiny Gulf Arab state nearly a year ago.

 “The information in our hands today does not indicate any glimmer of hope for a solution now, as the matter does not happen suddenly,” Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa told Alsharq Alawsat newspaper on Sunday.

 Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt severed travel and trade ties with Qatar last June, alleging it was backing Iran and supporting terrorism. Qatar denies this and says the boycott is an attempt to impinge on its sovereignty and rein in its support for reform.

 After initially disrupting Qatar’s imports and triggering the withdrawal of billions of dollars from its banks by depositors from the four states, the world’s top exporter of liquefied natural gas quickly developed new trade routes and deployed tens of billions of dollars from its sovereign wealth fund to protect its domestic lenders.

 The dispute has evaded mediation attempts by Kuwait and Washington, which has strong alliances with both sides and fears the split among Sunni Muslim US allies could benefit Iran in a decades-old tussle for influence in the Middle East.

 Bahrain’s foreign minister said Qatar was prolonging the crisis by taking its case to Western allies, instead of dealing with it inside the Gulf Arab bloc.

 “We were expecting from the beginning of the crisis with Qatar that the emir of Qatar would go to Saudi (Arabia) but this did not happen,” he told the pan-Arab newspaper.

 Saudi and UAE officials have said that Doha has yet to meet 13 demands made by the four states, including closing the state-funded Al Jazeera television station and reducing ties to Iran.

 UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said last week on Twitter that Qatar had not dealt wisely with those demands: “Perhaps the passing of a year of the boycott will produce a new thought and a wiser approach from Doha”. </s> BEIRUT -- Saudi Arabia and three other Arab countries that recently cut diplomatic ties with Qatar issued a harsh list of demands Friday, insisting that the wealthy but tiny Persian Gulf nation shut down the news broadcaster Al-Jazeera, abandon ties with Islamist organizations and provide detailed information about its funding for political dissidents.

Qatar insisted Friday it can indefinitely survive the economic and diplomatic steps its neighbors have taken to try to pressure it into compliance, even as a top Emirati official warned the country to brace for a long-term economic squeeze.

The demands, presented to Qatar through mediators from Kuwait, called on the country to shut down a Turkish military base and downgrade its ties with Iran -- a difficult task given that Iran and Qatar share a large gas field that provides much of Qatar's wealth.

The demands signaled an escalation in the deepest political crisis among Arab Gulf countries in years, after nations including Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates cut economic, diplomatic and travel ties with Qatar this month, accusing it of supporting terrorism.

Given 10 days to make a decision, Qatar did not immediately render judgment on the specific concessions demanded of it. But Qatari officials didn't budge from their previous insistence that they won't sit down with Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations to negotiate an end to the crisis while under siege.

"I can assure you that our situation today is very comfortable," Qatari Ambassador to the U.S. Meshal bin Hamad Al Thani said. "Qatar could continue forever like that with no problems."

Asked whether Qatar felt pressure to resolve the crisis quickly, he said: "Not at all."

Qatar's neighbors insisted the 13-point list of demands was their bottom line, not a starting point for negotiations. The Arab countries signaled that if Qatar refuses to comply, they will continue to restrict its access to land, sea and air routes indefinitely amid mounting economic pressure on the Gulf nation.

"The measures that have been taken are there to stay until there is a long-term solution to the issue," said Yousef al-Otaiba, ambassador to the U.S. from the United Arab Emirates.

Still, he suggested the penalties would only be economic and diplomatic, adding, "There is no military element to this whatsoever."

The demands from Qatar's neighbors amount to a call for a sweeping overhaul of Qatar's foreign policy and natural gas-funded influence peddling in the region. Complying would force Qatar to bring its policies in line with the regional vision of Saudi Arabia, the Middle East's biggest economy and gatekeeper of Qatar's only land border.

Al-Jazeera, one of the Arab world's most widely watched satellite news channels, denounced the demand for its closure as an attack on journalism. In a statement posted on its website, Al-Jazeera said the Saudis and their partners were trying to "silence the freedom of expression in the region and to suppress people's right to information and the right to be heard."

All of the nations involved are U.S. allies, and Qatar and Bahrain host large U.S. military bases. Analysts have accused President Donald Trump's administration of sending mixed signals, exacerbating the rift.

After the Arab nations announced that they were cutting ties with Qatar, Trump posted his support on Twitter and even suggested he had been responsible for the move.

But that did not stop his administration from signing a previously approved deal for Qatar to buy $12 billion of U.S. F-15 fighter jets.

Though the demands include conditions that Qatar already has insisted it would never meet, the list answers the growing call from the United States and from Qatar for the countries to put their grievances in writing.

As the crisis has dragged on, U.S. diplomats have complained privately that the Arab nations were taking too long to present their demands, and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said they must be "reasonable and actionable."

That call appeared to have been roundly ignored, and the list sidestepped U.S. negotiating efforts.

"This is an Arab issue that requires an Arab solution," Otaiba said. "That's why the Kuwaitis will take the lead in the negotiation."

That's just fine, the U.S. said. At the White House, spokesman Sean Spicer called it a "family issue" for the Arab nations and declined to say whether the newly articulated demands were legitimate.

"This is something that they want to and should work out for themselves," Spicer said.

Qatar has historically played a maverick role in the Gulf Cooperation Council, a regional group that also includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. It maintains ties with a range of Islamist groups throughout the region, relationships that other countries have found useful when negotiating hostage releases but have complained about when those groups challenge their rule.

Qatar has also opened its doors to members of the Muslim Brotherhood, which Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates consider a terrorist organization; to members of Hamas, the Palestinian militant group; and to the Afghan Taliban. It has also financed Al-Jazeera, which is often critical of Qatar's rivals.

Those stances have rankled others in the region, like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. And Qatar's support for the Arab Spring uprisings and for the Muslim Brotherhood have angered countries including Egypt.

Other nations, like Turkey, have stood up for Qatar.

The Turkish defense minister, Fikri Isik, rejected the demand that Qatar close the Turkish military base and suggested that Turkey would enhance its presence there as a show of support.

"Strengthening the Turkish base would be a positive step in terms of the Gulf's security," he said, according to Reuters. "Re-evaluating the base agreement with Qatar is not on our agenda."

Information for this article was contributed by Ben Hubbard of The New York Times; and by Adam Schreck, Josh Lederman and Suzan Fraser of The Associated Press.
Qatar restores diplomatic ties with Iran. Tehran welcomes the move.