Qatar on Tuesday said it is not mediating between the United States and Iran, rejecting claims by U.S. President Donald Trump that Washington is engaged in talks with Tehran.
"We are not involved in these talks," Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid al-Ansari told journalists.
Al-Ansari was responding to questions regarding recent comments made by President Trump, who said he had postponed threatened attacks on Iranian energy facilities due to "productive talks" with Iran.
"Our main concern and focus at present is on protecting our country and taking diplomatic steps to ensure that happens," al-Ansari said.
The complete destruction of Iran is not an option, he added. "We in the Gulf believe in co-existence. We believe in reaching out to Iran."
"We will have to find a way past this. This is a very difficult moment, but we will, we will find our way out of it," al-Ansari said.
The United States and Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Iran at the end of February, with the conflict quickly spreading to the wider Middle East region.
Tehran has retaliated with strikes against Israel as well as on energy and military facilities in Gulf states allied with Washington.
