Qatar PM dismisses viral claims of diplomatic snub to US Vice President Vance

Claims that US Vice President JD Vance was diplomatically snubbed by Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani during talks in Switzerland have been dismissed as misleading. The controversy originated from a video clip circulating on social media, which showed the Qatari prime minister greeting Pakistan’s counterpart, Shehbaz Sharif, while walking past Vance without shaking his hand.

The footage, shared by influencer Mario Nawfal on X on June 22, garnered more than two million views and was framed by the poster as a “brutal” slight. The post attracted significant attention, including Islamophobic comments in the comments section, before the full context of the diplomatic engagement was established.

Sheikh Mohammed clarified to Al Jazeera that the incident was a misunderstanding amplified by the presence of press. He stated that he had been meeting with Vance since the morning and was unaware of the Pakistani minister’s arrival at that specific moment. “I wasn’t expecting the press over there. And they just made the issue too big,” the prime minister said, noting that he had spent several hours with the vice president just seconds before the recorded greeting.

To substantiate his account, the Qatari prime minister posted a photograph showing him in a working session alongside Vance and US Special Envoy Jared Kushner. The image corroborates the statement that the two parties had been engaged in continuous dialogue throughout the day, contradicting the narrative of a diplomatic rupture.

The US-Iran negotiations, mediated by Qatar and Pakistan, began on June 21 near Lucerne in central Switzerland. The initial sessions focused on laying the groundwork for a roadmap towards a final deal within 60 days, covering Iran’s nuclear program, regional stability, and security in the Strait of Hormuz.