Iran on the agenda as Qatar emir meets Biden
There is potential Doha could play a role in brokering a US-Iran prisoner exchanging following press reports of Iran-Qatar talks on the topic.
President Joe Biden met Monday with the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, following reports that Iran asked for the Persian Gulf country’s help on a possible prisoner exchange with the United States.
Qatar’s ruling emir is the first Gulf leader to visit the White House since Biden took office last year. On Monday, he met with senior US officials for talks covering energy security in Europe, support for Afghanistan and the Iranian nuclear agreement, according to senior administration officials who briefed reporters on Sunday.
Four US citizens — Siamak Namazi, Baquer Namazi, Morad Tahbaz and Emad Sharghi — remain behind bars in Iran on groundless spying and national security charges. Washington and Tehran have conducted indirect discussions on the prisoners that the Biden administration has described as separate from the nuclear talks.
But last week, US Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley signaled that a revived nuclear agreement was unlikely to occur without the Americans’ release.
