Doha: Qatar expressed on Tuesday its support for the Pakistan-mediated diplomatic talks between the US and Iran, and called for reopening the Strait of Hormuz to maritime traffic. Doha 'supports the Islamabad negotiations aimed at reaching a solution between Washington and Tehran,' Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari told a news conference.

According to Anadolu Agency, Al-Ansari mentioned that two Qatari gas tankers successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz on May 10 and 11 en route to Port Qasim in Pakistan. This transit was facilitated through contacts with the Pakistani side as part of regional coordination efforts aimed at reopening the waterway to navigation. However, he clarified that this 'does not mean navigation has returned to normal or that the strait has been reopened.'

Al-Ansari further noted that 'ten Qatari gas tankers remain stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, along with vessels from Qatar and many other countries waiting to enter or exit the strait.' The ongoing regional tensions have persisted since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28, which led to retaliatory attacks by Tehran against Israel and US allies in the Gulf, along with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

A ceasefire was brokered on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, but the talks in Islamabad did not yield a lasting agreement. US President Donald Trump later extended the truce indefinitely while maintaining a blockade on vessels traveling to or from Iranian ports through the strategic waterway. The Strait of Hormuz is a critical energy chokepoint, linking the Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and international markets. Disruptions in the area have fueled concerns over global oil, fuel, and gas supplies since the start of the Iran war.