Raisi to Visit Qatar Thursday

President Ebrahim Raisi is to visit Qatar on Thursday in his first trip to a Persian Gulf Arab state since he assumed office in August.
Raisi will attend the Gas Exporting Countries Forum in the Qatari capital Doha during his trip, IRNA reported. 
Qatar and Iran share the world’s biggest natural gas field. 
Persian Gulf Arab states have been trying to engage Iran after years of soured relations. The United Arab Emirates extended an invitation to the Iranian president in December after its national security adviser paid a rare visit to Tehran.
Iran has also sought to restore diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia, following years of tension through talks mediated by Iraq. The efforts come as Iran seeks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal that the US abandoned in 2018. 
World powers in Vienna are currently at a critical stage in talks aimed at ending a standoff between Tehran and Washington over the future of the landmark deal. On Sunday Russia’s top envoy in the talks said the negotiations had entered their “final stage.”