Iranian President Hassan Rouhani shakes hands with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani during a welcome ceremony, in Tehran, Iran January 12, 2020. Photo: Official Iranian Presidential Website/Handout via REUTERS.

Qatar’s ruler, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, said during a visit to Iran on Sunday that de-escalation and dialogue were needed to resolve regional crises at a “sensitive” time.

He was speaking at a televised news conference with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani during a visit to Tehran at a time of heightened US-Iranian tensions that threaten to destabilize the region.

Sheikh Tamim also thanked Iran, with which his country shares a giant gas field, for supporting Doha by providing air and land routes after Saudi Arabia and its allies imposed a trade and transport boycott on Qatar in mid-2017.