UPDATE – Qatar welcomes hosting US-Iran nuclear talks

UPDATES WITH QATARI FOREIGN MINISTRY’S STATEMENT, CHANGES TITLE, DECK, LEDE, EDITS THROUGH

By Mahmoud Barakat
ANKARA (AA) – Qatar on Tuesday welcomed hosting EU-mediated indirect talks between the US and Iran amid efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear deal.
In a statement, the Qatari Foreign Ministry affirmed “full readiness to provide an atmosphere that would help all parties make the talks a success,” voicing hope that the talks will conclude with positive results.
Earlier on Tuesday, US Special Envoy to Iran Robert Malley met with Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al- Thani in Doha.
The meeting focused on “the strong partnership and our joint diplomatic efforts to address issues with Iran,” the US Embassy in the Qatari capital said on Twitter.
Also, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri arrived in Doha for the indirect talks with the US, in an effort to break a three-month deadlock in the Vienna nuclear talks.
The Qatar-hosted discussions came days following a visit by EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell to Tehran and his talks with Iranian officials.
Last month, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani visited Tehran and held wide-ranging talks with Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi. The visit fueled speculation about the Qatari ruler's mediation efforts to break the stalemate in the Vienna talks and unfreeze Iran's frozen assets abroad.
The key disagreements between the US and Iran that have led to the stalemate include the de-listing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)-linked organizations and guarantees that the future US administration will not walk out of the deal again.
Former US President Donald Trump pulled his country out of the landmark deal in May 2018, which was followed by the reinstatement of sanctions on Iran under the "maximum pressure" campaign.