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With the outset of the 13th government and special emphasis of President Raeisi on enhancing relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and all countries, especially neighboring countries, the visit of high-ranking officials of Iran and Qatar to Doha in March 2022 paved suitable ways for broadening mutual ties within the framework of joint economic commissions.

The two countries of Iran and Qatar enjoy high potential particularly in trade and economic fields so setting up the 8th meeting of the Iran-Qatar Joint Economic Commission would further boost bilateral cooperation in the fields.

The 8th meeting of the Iran-Qatar Joint Economic Commission, which was held on June 7 in the Qatari capital of Doha, discussed the two sides' bilateral cooperation in the form of five committees including "Economic, Commercial and Industrial", "Banking and Finance", "Transportation and Information Technology", "Scientific, Health, Culture, Sports and Tourism" and "Water and Energy" and practical steps will be taken in this regard to implement the agreements approved at the previous meetings.

At the 8th meeting of the Iran-Qatar Joint Economic Commission between Iran and Qatar, Iranian Energy Minister Ali Akbar Mehrabian, Head of Irans Trade Promotion Organization Alireza Peymanpak, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Diplomacy Mehdi Safari, along with officials from the Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture of Iran, and the most significant trade delegation, including private businessmen and representatives of 70 companies traveled to Qatar, indicating the Iranian government's full support for cooperation of the private sectors of the two countries.

An Iranian delegation headed by energy minister Ali Akbar Mehrabian attended the eighth meeting of the Joint Commission for Economic Cooperation between Iran and Qatar in Doha.

At the end of the joint commission meeting, Iran and Qatar inked a memorandum of understanding.

The MoU between Iran and Qatar is in the fields of transit, transportation, industry and trade, energy, customs, free zones, tourism, cultural heritage, agriculture, sports, etc.

The Iranian energy minister, who chaired the meeting of the joint commission, said that the 13th administration in Iran has focused on expanding relations with the world and regional countries and expressed hope to see a significant increase in bilateral relations between Tehran and Doha after the meeting.

"One of the most important goals of the meeting is to support the Iranian and Qatari private sectors, and we are happy to see that a large conference with the participation of Iranian businessmen is being held in Doha at the same time as the meeting of the joint commission," Mehrabian said

"During the day, eight very important memoranda of understanding on food, medical industry, knowledge-based companies, etc. have been signed between businessmen of the two countries, which indicates the existence of a suitable market for the two countries," he added.

The Iranian energy minister continued that Iran and Qatar have set financial goals for 2023 and hope to see doubled economic relations and trade balance between the two countries.

Referring to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Mehrabian said that the Qatar World Cup is definitely one of the golden opportunities for business people, which can enhance economic and trade relations between the two countries in various ways.

Head of the Trade Promotion Organization of Iran (TPOI) Alireza Peyman-Pak announced the launch of the Iran Trade Center in Qatar in near future.

Referring to the Iranian administration's plan to boost trade, especially with neighboring countries, he said that holding an exhibition and introducing Iran's industrial and commercial capabilities to Qatari traders is on the agenda.

An exhibition of Qatar's trade capabilities will also be held in Iran, he added.

The Iran Trade Center in Qatar will be opened soon, and the Iranian Trade Advisor in Qatar will start working, Peyman-Pak said.

He noted that $1 billion in trade with the neighboring country of Qatar is on Iran's agenda.

With regards to the upcoming visit of the Iranian President to Qatar, he said, participating in Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) and holding bilateral talks with senior Qatari officials have been cited as the two main aims behind the upcoming visit of Iranian President Raeisi to Qatar.

He put the current trade volume exchanged between Iran and Qatar at about $300 and $400 million which is very negligible and stated, With the planning made in this regard, it is expected that bilateral trade between the two countries will increase to $1 billion next year.

Cooperating in the field of industrial development for exporting products to third countries and using high capacities and capabilities of Qatar for the development of value chain and transit are the other issues with regards to expanding trade ties between the two countries, he added.

Considering the good political relations between Iran and Qatar, putting the next step in supporting the private sector for the development of trade relations is one of the most important goals of the two countries, which is possible by removing barriers and developing infrastructure, on the other hand, the private sector also plays a pivotal role, which by doing it properly, we will see a big development in trade between Iran and Qatar.

Ayatollah Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi received the visiting Qatari Foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani for a meeting in Tehran, Iran.

In the meeting, Raeisi referred to the importance of regional cooperation and said, "Deepening relations and further synergy among neighboring countries can create security."

Emphasizing the importance of multilateral mechanisms in ensuring security, especially in the field of energy, Raeisi stated, "It is necessary to maintain and strengthen coordination and synergy in the energy policies of producing countries."

The Qatari foreign minister extended an official invitation to the president of Iran to take part in the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) on the part of the Emir of Qatar and said "Qatar is determined to make utmost efforts to increase relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran in various political and economic fields, and the Emir of Qatar is personally following up on the development of relations between the two countries.

Iran's President Ebrahim Raeisi departed for Qatar to meet Qatari Emir and attend a Summit Meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF).

Before leaving Tehran for Doha, President Raeisi told reporters that he is traveling to Qatar at the official invitation of Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Improving friendly and brotherly relations between Iran and neighboring Qatar and attending the Summit Meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) are the goals of this visit to Doha, he explained.

Referring to the Summit Meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), he said that Iran is one of the founders of the forum and the country is one of the important exporters and producers of gas in the region.

He also expressed hope that the trip will bring positive effects on the promotion of political, economic, and trade relations between regional countries, especially the countries of the Persian Gulf.

The president's visit to Qatar comes at a time when the last time an Iranian president visited Qatar was eleven years ago. Before leaving Tehran for Doha, President Raeisi told reporters that his visit to Qatar is a step towards activating neighborhood diplomacy, especially with the Persian Gulf states, and using the capacities of these states to develop political and economic relations.

In recent years, Tehran-Doha relations have witnessed tangible progress in all areas of economic, political, cultural, energy, and border cooperation. This is the result of the attention of the officials of the two countries, who are working to expand and develop bilateral relations and strive to enhance cooperation to the highest levels.

During the first day of the visit of the Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi to Qatar, contracts in the different political, economic, cultural, and sports fields were signed by the Iranian and Qatari ministers in the presence of the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and the Iranian president Ebrahim Raeisi.

The 14 signed cooperation documents are in the fields of aviation, trade, shipping, radio and television, visa cancellation, electricity, standards, culture, and education.

Iran is one of the few countries in the world that has more than a dozen maritime and land neighbors. Iran has a total of 15 neighbors of which seven share land borders while the remaining shares maritime borders with Iran.

So far, the foreign policy record of Raeisi and Amir Abdollahian has been a success. The first achievement in this regard was Irans permanent membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (ECO) which was achieved during the first foreign visit by Raeisi to Tajikistan.

The president himself described the membership as a diplomatic success in line with his neighborhood policy.

Earlier in March of that year, the president had said that ECO constitutes a priority in the paradigm governing Irans regional and neighborhood policies.

Raeisi similarly assessed his trip to Qatar. He said the visit was in line with the neighborhood policy.

He said that his administration has put a lot of energy and effort into developing Irans relations with its neighbors. According to Raeisi, shoring up ties with neighbors is at the center of his plan to develop foreign relations.

In the months since the beginning of the Popular Administration, relations with neighbors have tripled with some countries, indicating that little attention was paid to these capacities in the past, the president said, taking a jab at derelictions that occurred during the previous administrations.

Iranian President Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi said that setting up the Iranian trade and business center in Qatar will cause the introduction of high capability and capacity of the country to Qatari entrepreneurs and traders.

President Raeisi made the remarks in his meeting with Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, Prime Minister of Qatar in Doha, and emphasized that today, the Islamic Republic of Iran has gained salient achievements in various fields in international arenas.

During the meeting, President Raeisi described relations between the two countries of Iran and Qatar as very deep, friendly and amicable.

He went on to say that there are good political, economic, cultural, and social ties between the two nations but this level of relations is not commensurate with the existing capacities of the two countries.

Qatari prime minister, for his turn, termed the visit of the President of Iran to Qatar historic and significant and added that the two countries enjoy high capabilities and potential to expand their relations in all fields.

Iran and Qatar signed a bilateral operational agreement to link Doha aviation information with Iran's aviation information territory.

An agreement was also signed to increase the number of flights between Qatar and Iran, in the presence of the Qatari Minister of transport & communications, Jassim bin Saif Al-Sulaiti and the Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development Rostam Ghasemi.

Ghasemi revealed his talk with his Qatari counterpart to set up regular shipping lines between the two countries' ports.

In addition, the two sides agreed to make more use of Qatari commercial airlines over the Iranian sky, he noted.

During the meeting of the Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development with his Qatari counterpart and with the presence of the Qatari Emir, four agreements in the fields of transit, shipping, and air transport were signed.

Rostam Ghasemi discussed establishing regular shipping lines and transit transportation, as well as increasing flights between Iran and Qatar with his Qatari counterpart.

Four agreements were also signed between Iran and Qatar with the presence of the Qatari President Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and the Emir of Qatar.

Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani held a meeting in Doha.

In this meeting, the two top diplomats discussed the latest developments in the relations between the two countries in various political, and economic fields as well as the issues related to Iranians living in Qatar.

The Iranian minister thanked Qatar for their hospitality and the good hosting of the 6th GECF Summit and described the visit of President Raieis to Doha and the meeting with the Emir of Qatar as an accelerator to bilateral relations.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, for his part, attached great importance to the meeting between Raeisi and the Emir of Qatar and stressed the need to implement the decisions of high-ranking officials of the two countries.

The Foreign Ministers of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Qatar also discussed important issues and developments related to the Vienna talks, as well as regional issues, including Afghanistan and Yemen.

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar paid a one-day visit to Tehran at the invitation of Iranian President Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi.

The Qatari Emir and a high-ranking political-economic delegation who accompanied him on his trip were officially welcomed by Iranian First Vice President Mohmmad Mokhber upon their arrival at Mehrabad International Airport.

In a meeting with the Emir of Qatar, Mokhber referred to the level of relations between Tehran and Doha, and appreciated Qatar's position on regional and international issues, especially towards the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Referring to the meetings of senior officials of the two countries and the agreements reached for joint cooperation in holding the World Cup Qatar 2022, Mokhber announced the readiness of the Islamic Republic of Iran to cooperate with Qatar in holding these competitions.

The relations between Iran and Qatar are strong and stable and based on a sense of neighborliness, Qatari Emir said, calling for the expansion of relations between Tehran and Doha.

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani made the remarks in a joint press conference with Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi.

"Today, we discussed various issues, and during the talks, we emphasized that resolving disputes in the region is possible only through dialogue," he said referring to his meeting with the Iranian President.

To make a long story short, when Raeisi took over as president in August 2021, Irans relations with most neighbors were either politically tense or economically stagnant. And that had to change. The new president and his foreign policy team assumed power with a clear foreign policy vision in mind: Neighborhood Policy. Now, every single Iranian acknowledges that the Neighborhood Policy has paid off. Today, between Iran and Qatar. The story of the Policy will be continued!

Compiled and translated by Amin Mohammadzadegan Khoyi

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High level of cooperation with Qatar in Iran's 13th govt. - Mehr News Agency - English Version

Esmaili made the remarks in a joint press conference with the Iraqi Minister of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities Hassan Nazim on Sunday night in Tehran.

"In the talks with the Iraqi delegation, we tried to increase the level of interaction in various fields of culture and art," the Iranian minister stressed, adding that currently,there is a good level of mutual understanding between the two sides.

He also expressed hope that the visit of the Iraqi minister of culture will lead to boosting cultural interactions between Tehran and Baghdad.

The Iraqi minister of culture, for his part, assessed Iran-Iraq cultural ties as favorable.

He expressed his country's willingness on expanding relations and cooperation with the Iranian side, adding thatBaghdad will host the Iranian cinema film week.

Nazim said that Iran and Iraq have discussed having a more prominent presence in the joint book fairs of the two countries and that Baghdad is readyfor any cooperation in this field.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Iraqi minister stated that the Iraqi government is determined to provide more facilities to the Iranian pilgrims during the Arbaeen march.

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Iran, Iraq to expand cultural ties, cooperation - Mehr News Agency - English Version

Saudi Arabia is seeing some progress on dialogue with its longtime adversary Iran, but not enough, the kingdom's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud told CNBC on Tuesday. In the meantime, the minister says it is eager to improve the two countries' relationship.

"In Saudi Arabia, and I think it's the same in the other GCC states, we are very much focused you know, Vision 2030 and other elements on delivering a vision of the future that is built on hope, that is built on prosperity, that is built on development, that is built on cooperation," Prince Faisal told CNBC's Hadley Gamble during a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

"And this is a message that, as I say, we in Saudi Arabia but also the other GCC states who all have their individual visions for the future which are all very much in that same vein, are trying to send to our region, including to our neighbors in Iran."

"Our hands are stretched out. We are trying to send the message that going into a new era of cooperation in the region can deliver benefits for all of us."

Saudi Arabia has long named Iran as the biggest threat to stability in the wider Middle East, citing its nuclear program and support for militant proxy groups from Lebanon and Iraq to Yemen, and the two countries severed diplomatic ties in 2016. Tehran insists that its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes.

That more peaceful future "does need a decision," Prince Faisal said. "It needs a decision in Iran to sign onto that vision of a much more prosperous, cooperative future."

The minister said that in terms of dialogue with Iran, GCC states "have made some progress, but not enough."

"We continue to encourage our neighbors in Iran to lean into what can be a very, very important sea-change in our region."

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi gestures as he speaks at Tehran's Friday prayer on the occasion of the 43rd anniversary of the Islamic Revolution of Iran in Tehran, Iran, February 11, 2022.

Wana News Agency | via Reuters

Saudi Arabia, along with its close ally the United Arab Emirates, have expressed criticism and skepticism over the Joe Biden administration's pursuit of the revival of the Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

If a deal is reached, which previously lifted economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for curbs to its nuclear program, many regional analysts believe Saudi Arabia and its allies will have little option but to accept Iran's reentry into the international community.

"Now of course the JCPOA, if it, happens will be potentially a good thing if its a good deal," Prince Faisal added. "But for us, it is most important that we address the holistic issues the nuclear nonproliferation, regional activity and that can be done, but it needs a sincere desire to look to the future rather than the past."

Earlier this year, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said that his country was ready for more talks with Saudi Arabia. "Iran is ready to continue these negotiations until reaching an outcome, provided that the Saudis are willing to continue the negotiations in an atmosphere of mutual understanding and respect," semi-official Iranian news agency Fars quoted Raisi as saying in a call with Iraq's prime minister in February.

Leaders of Iraq, a country where the Saudi-Iran rivalry often violently plays out, have hosted several rounds of direct talks between Saudi and Iranian diplomats over the last year. Both countries have expressed cautious optimism about the discussions.

Saudi defence ministry spokesman Colonel Turki Al-Malik displays on a screen drones which the Saudi government says attacked an Aramco oil facility, during a news conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia September 18, 2019.

Hamad I Mohammed | Reuters

Gulf states are also increasingly skeptical of the U.S.'s security commitment to the region, and could view reconciliation with Iran as a way to hedge against future threats from the country. In recent years Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been the targets of numerous drone and missile strikes from Yemen, which U.S. officials say were in many cases either aided or directed by Iran. Tehran denies the accusations.

Iran and the kingdom are on opposing sides of the war in Yemen, which became one of the world's worst man-made humanitarian disasters after Saudi Arabia launched a bombing offensive against Yemen's Houthi rebels in 2015.

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Saudi foreign minister says the kingdom's hands are 'stretched out' to Iran - CNBC

Israel fears that Iran could seek to attack Israelis abroad to avenge a senior Iranian military commander who was assassinated in Tehran, and is set to issue recommendations against travel to some destinations that border the Islamic Republic, Channel 12 News reported Thursday.

The concerns came in the wake of leaks tying Israel to the slaying of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Colonel Sayyad Khodai who was killed on Sunday by a gunman on the back of a motorcycle as he sat in his car outside his home. The New York Times cited sources as saying Israel told the US it had carried out the hit.

Israel fears the developments will increase Irans motivation to strike Israelis abroad.

Senior government and defense establishment figures held a series of consultation meetings in recent days on the matter and will apparently make a decision soon to reiterate travel advisories against traveling to countries neighboring Iran, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Azerbaijan, and possibly Turkey.

The government doesnt intend to issue travel warnings, but rather to stress existing instructions to be cautious, the report said.

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An Israeli official told the station there are currently no specific intelligence warnings of attacks. However, the source said that Israelis would be advised to be particularly cautious when visiting Azerbaijan and to avoid visiting the UAE or Bahrain unless it is essential due to the presence of terror infrastructures in those countries.

Illustrative image: A demonstrator holds an anti-Israeli placard at a pro-Palestinians gathering in Tehran, Iran, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

According to the report, Israel was surprised at the leak which is believed to have come from a US source.

There were lots of phone calls today between Israel and the US over the leak, the report said, noting that the two sides have now put the incident behind them.

However, the director-general of Israels Foreign Ministry said the US must provide answers regarding the New York Times report.

I leave the explanations for our talks with the Americans, Alon Ushpiz told the Kan public broadcaster.

MK Ram Ben Barak, who heads the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, said during an interview Thursday morning on Israels 103FM radio station that the incident mainly harms trust.

We have very many close relationships and a lot of cooperation which is all dependent on trust, and when it is violated in some way then it damages future cooperation, he added. I hope the Americans investigate the leak and figure out where it came from and why it occurred.

The Revolutionary Guards denounced Khodais killing as a terrorist act, blaming it on elements of global arrogance in reference to the US and its allies, including Israel.

The son of Irans Revolutionary Guard Col. Hassan Sayyad Khodaei mourns over his flag-draped coffin during his funeral ceremony in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, May 24, 2022. (AP/Vahid Salemi)

The spokesman for the joint chiefs of staff of the Iranian armed forces, General Abolfazl Shekarchi, said on Monday that an investigation had been opened into the circumstances surrounding Khodais murder.

An unnamed intelligence official told The New York Times on Wednesday that Israeli officials had passed along information about the killing of Khodaei, who was shot dead outside his Tehran home on Sunday.

The report did not specify which country the intelligence official represented, but according to Ynet, the Israeli security establishment believes the source was American and is furious about the leak. Israeli officials told the Hebrew news site that they are demanding answers from their American counterparts, as the New York Times report places responsibility for the killing solely on Israel and absolves the US of having played any role.

According to the Times report, Israeli officials claimed Khodaei was deputy head of the so-called Unit 840, a shadowy division within the IRGCs expeditionary Quds Force that carries out kidnappings and assassinations of figures outside of Iran, including against Israelis. Khodaei was specifically in charge of Unit 840s Middle East operations, but he had been involved in attempted terror attacks against Israelis, Europeans, and American civilians and government officials in Colombia, Kenya, Ethiopia, the UAE and Cyprus, in the last two years alone.

Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reported that among the targets Khodaei was planning to kill, was French Jewish philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy.

French philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy arrives at the Elysee Palace, in Paris, on May 21, 2019 for a meeting with the French President and other authors and philosophers who signed the tribune Europe at risk. (Ludovic Marin / AFP)

His killing was meant to warn Iran that the group should stop its activities, the intelligence official quoted by the Times said.

Israel has made no official comments on the incident and has reportedly raised the security alert level at its embassies and consulates around the world, fearing a retaliatory Iranian attack.

Khodaeis assassination was the most high-profile killing inside Iran since the November 2020 killing of top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh.

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Israel said to fear Iran will target Israelis abroad in bid to avenge slain officer - The Times of Israel

Iran's state TV is reporting that a senior member of the country's powerful Revolutionary Guard has been killed outside his home in Tehran by gunmen on a motorbike

ByThe Associated Press

May 22, 2022, 6:45 PM

2 min read

TEHRAN, Iran -- A senior member of Irans powerful Revolutionary Guard was killed outside his home in Tehran on Sunday by unidentified gunmen on a motorbike, state TV reported.

Although the Guard gave only scant detail about the attack that occurred in broad daylight in the heart of Iran's capital, the group blamed the killing on global arrogance, typically code for the United States and Israel.

That accusation, as well as the style of the brazen killing, raised the possibility of a link with other motorbike slayings previously attributed to Israel in Iran, such as those targeting the country's nuclear scientists. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

The two assailants shot Col. Hassan Sayyad Khodaei five times in his unarmored Iranian-made Kia Pride, state media said, right off a highly secure street home to Iran's parliament.

Reports identified Khodaei only as a defender of the shrine, a reference to Iranians who fight against the extremist Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq within the Guards elite Quds force that oversees foreign operations.

Little information was publicly available about Khodaei, as Quds officers tend to be shadowy figures carrying out secretive military missions supporting Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group, and other militias in Syria, Iraq and elsewhere.

The Tehran prosecutor arrived at the crime scene within hours of the killing to investigate and demanded police urgently arrest the perpetrators. The probes speed suggested Khodaei's prominence in the murky structure of the Guards overseas operations.

Those operations have come under repeated Israeli air attack in Syria. An Israeli strike near the Syrian capital of Damascus killed two Guard members in March, prompting Iran to retaliate by firing a missile barrage into northern Iraq.

Security forces were pursuing the suspected assailants, state TV reported, without offering further details or giving a motive for the killing.

Around the same time, state-run media said the Revolutionary Guard's security forces had uncovered and arrested members of an Israeli intelligence network operating in the country, without elaborating on whether they had any connection to Khodaei's slaying.

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Iran Revolutionary Guard colonel is shot dead in Tehran