Qatar says negotiations between Iran and the US are continuing, with both sides engaging in diplomatic efforts despite growing tensions and fears of renewed fighting, Al Jazeera reports.

“On the negotiations of the JCPOA, they are ongoing, we are seeing engagement from both parties,” Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari says at the Global Security Forum in Doha.

“The fact that we’re not hearing about it is a good sign that we’re doing our job properly,” he says, stressing the importance of confidential negotiations.

He adds that Doha stands firmly behind Riyadh amid the widening conflict.

“Qatar is supporting our brothers in Saudi Arabia in defending their sovereignty against this attack,” he has said.