Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani has made a telephone call to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to congratulate him on his election to a second presidential term and called for the strengthening of relations between Doha and Tehran. According to the Iranian News Agency (IRNA), Sheikh Tamim described the relations between Qatar and Iran as "historic and close," and that he saw no obstacle in the way of deepening bilateral relations. He advocated dialogue and negotiations as the only way to solve the problems, and said that the mediation process adopted by the State of Kuwait should continue, IRNA reported. Sheikh Tamim also confirmed that he would issue instructions to make efforts to develop relations between Doha and Tehran, the agency quoted him as saying. The phone call exposed the claims of the Qatari foreign minister about the controversial statements made by Sheikh Tamim about relations with Iran following the Riyadh summit. The minister had pinned the blame on hackers for, what it said, were false statements attributed to the Emir. But the phone call to President Rouhani has confirmed that Qatar was indeed stabbing the GCC countries in the back. The statements of Sheikh Tamim and his policy is leading Qatar in the opposite direction as other GCC states, emboldening Iran to sow the seeds of discord among them.
