Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA)    February 21, 2025.

   The Qatari Emir arrived in Tehran on an official visit and sat down for talks with President Masoud Pezeshkian before meeting Ayatollah Khamenei.

   “One of the policies announced by the administration of President Pezeshkian is the expansion of ties with neighbors,” Ayatollah Khamenei said during the meeting, which was also attended by the President.

   He noted that the Pezeshkian administration has already taken good measures to enhance relations with neighboring countries, achieving some level of progress thus far.

   Ayatollah Khamenei expressed hope that the agreements reached between Iranian and Qatari officials would benefit both countries, enabling them to fulfill their “neighborly duties” more effectively.

   In his remarks, the Leader emphasized that Iran considers Qatar a “friendly and brotherly country,” despite some “unclear and unresolved” matters, including the issue of frozen Iranian assets.

   Approximately $6 billion in Iranian funds remain frozen under U.S. sanctions and are currently held in a Qatari bank after being released by South Korea in September 2023.

   The Leader criticized the United States for obstructing the agreement to return the funds to Iran. “We know that the U.S. is the main obstacle to the implementation of an agreement that had been reached in this regard,” he said, adding that Iran expects Qatar to resist pressure from Washington and return Iran’s assets.

   For his part, Qatar’s Emir expressed satisfaction with his meeting with Ayatollah Khamenei and praised the Leader for Iran’s support for the Palestinian people.

   He acknowledged the ongoing tensions in the West Asia region, saying regional countries should cooperate more to address the current situation.

   The Emir also referred to the agreements reached between Iran and Qatar, and said the two countries will soon establish a joint commission to increase the volume of bilateral trade.