Qatar’s foreign minister urged smaller countries to combine diplomatic and economic resources for international peace, while saying Doha’s U.S.-Iran de-escalation work was continuing at a slower pace, Anadolu Agency reported.
Anadolu said Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani spoke at Oxford Union on Nov. 6. He proposed the label “Thriving States” for countries he said had become influential despite their smaller size, and argued they could take a more organized role in international peace. He said their efforts should be coordinated across countries and built through shared contributions over time.
Sheikh Mohammed described smaller countries as “increasingly the first casualties” of conflicts they did not start. While they cannot settle disputes independently or replace major powers, he said, cooperation could help them contribute to peace. The approach would bring together diplomatic networks, economic capacity and expertise; he called the aim a “supply chain of peace and stability.” He also said smaller countries should take responsibility for their own stability rather than remain passive.
According to Anadolu, Sheikh Mohammed said Qatar had worked with U.S. administration officials to contain and de-escalate the war between the United States and Iran. He said diplomatic activity was less active than a few days earlier, while Qatar’s engagement “did not stop and will not stop.” He said the U.S. midterm elections could affect future policy but not the administration’s intentions. He also argued that negotiators should pursue a workable agreement even if the terms fall short of an ideal peace deal.
The mediation remarks came amid earlier Doha discussions involving Iranian representatives and Qatari mediators. Reuters, citing an unnamed official, reported that Iranian representatives had completed a round of discussions there. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi was in Doha to relay messages to Washington through Qatari intermediaries, as covered in an earlier account of the Doha talks.
