Qatar emir, Trump discuss de-escalation in Middle East

Qatar's emir and US President Donald Trump discussed de-escalation and security in the region in a call, the royal court said Wednesday, amid growing tension between the United States and Iran.

 Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Trump focused on "the current situation in the region and international efforts aimed at de-escalation and strengthening regional security and peace", the emir's office said in a statement.

They also discussed "supporting diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving crises through dialogue and peaceful means", the statement added.

The call comes after Iran and the United States resumed negotiations in Oman on Friday for the first time since Israel's 12-day war on Iran last June, which was joined by the US military.

Meanwhile, Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, departed for Doha on Wednesday to discuss regional developments, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.

Larijani’s visit to Qatar follows high-level meetings in Muscat with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq and Foreign Minister Badr Al-Busaidi as part of ongoing regional and international consultations and amid indirect negotiations between Iran and the US.

According to the official Oman News Agency, Larijani and Sultan Haitham bin Tariq "discussed the latest developments in the Iranian-American negotiations".

They also explored "ways to reach a balanced and just agreement between the two sides, and emphasised the importance of returning to the table of dialogue and negotiation", Oman News Agency reported.