WANA (Aug 18) – The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Tuesday that current diplomatic efforts are primarily focused on de-escalating regional tensions and bringing all parties back to the negotiation table.

 

Speaking on the ongoing developments, Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Majed al-Ansari stated, “Current efforts are centered on reducing regional tension and returning both sides to the negotiating table. The regional crisis in its present state poses a threat to everyone. We are awaiting an agreement between Iran and Oman regarding the Strait of Hormuz.”

 

Referring to military developments during the conflict, al-Ansari claimed, “The Iranian fighter jets that were shot down intended to attack us, and we responded according to the rules of engagement. On March 19, we located the remains of one of the pilots and informed the Iranian side. We invited Tehran to review the investigation results, but they declined. Iran should not drag Qatar into its internal issues.”

 

In response to earlier developments, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei emphasized Iran’s position regarding the missing aircrew.

 

“As long as the status of our pilots remains unclarified, the assumption is that they have been captured,” Baghaei stated. “Therefore, we will utilize all our capacities to determine the fate of our three pilots. We also honor the memory of the pilot whose body was returned to the homeland and laid to rest.”