Trump is no maverick, Iran's Supreme Leader tells Qatari Emir
Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Wednesday told the visiting leader of potential mediator Qatar that Tehran expected more of the same hostile US policy under President Donald Trump.
"There is no difference among US presidents," the 85-year-old leader was quoted as telling Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on Wednesday, appearing to pour more cold water on any potential detente.
The meeting brought together a key mediator for the United States in past regional conflicts, including an Iran-US prisoner exchange in 2023 - with Washington's regional arch-enemy.
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said before his arrival that there was no indication that Doha sought to act as a go-between or carried any diplomatic message from Washington.
Iran's top decision maker appeared to dwell on the lapsed 2023 exchange, in which Tehran released the American prisoners as agreed but the United States barred Qatar from disbursing $6 billion in Iranian state funds Washington has confiscated.
"If we were in Qatar's position, we would not have paid attention to US pressure and would have rejected the other party’s demands," Khamenei said. "We still expect such an action from Qatar."
Trump has lambasted his predecessor Joe Biden as too soft on Iran and reinstated a so-called maximum pressure campaign of sanctions from his first term.
Expressing reticence to aid Israel in a military strike on Iran's disputed nuclear program, Trump has said he prefers a deal which Khamenei has publicly rejected.
'Fair and balanced'
The Emir, who maintains close relations with Tehran and Washington, is the most important head of state to visit the country since Iran-backed Hamas militants triggered a 15-month regional conflict pitting Israel against Iran and its allies.
"Qatar supports any effort that brings viewpoints closer, leads to fair and balanced solutions, guarantees the rights of nations, and promotes development and prosperity in the region," Sheikh Tamim was quoted as saying following a meeting earlier with President Masoud Pezeshkian.
He last visited Tehran in May last year.
Speaking to reporters, Pezeshkian said their discussions focused on Gaza, whose longtime Hamas rulers have been supported by both Iran and Qatar.
"We believe that all nations and governments in the region and the world ... must make every effort to defend the oppressed people of Palestine, especially in Gaza, ensuring their right to a safe life in their historic homeland."
The Qatari Foreign Ministry announced earlier in the month that Doha is ready to help the United States negotiate with the Islamic Republic.
Doha is the interlocutor between Hamas and US ally Israel as the two sides push ahead on a shaky Gaza ceasefire and previously helped mediate the US withdrawal from Afghanistan with the Taliban.
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani expressed hope last year that a 2023 prisoner exchange agreement between Iran and the United States mediated by Doha would lead to broader talks between Tehran and Washington regarding the Islamic Republic's nuclear program.
