Former Qatari prime minister urges GCC role in US-Iran talks

Former Qatari prime minister urges GCC role in US-Iran talks Qatar’s former Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani says Gulf states must be included in any US-Iran negotiations, warning the region’s future cannot be decided without them. Amid conflicting reports of possible talks, which Tehran denies, he said: “GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] states cannot be absent from any table where the contours of the regional future are being drawn”. In a post on X, he stressed the Strait of Hormuz “is not a bargaining chip, nor a pressure tool” and must remain open “without condition or restriction, under any circumstance”.