The key facts

  • Qatar said the US-Iran talks are moving forward, but did not assess how close an agreement is
  • Tehran proposed resuming talks on the condition that the attacks stop and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is lifted
  • Trump said he would postpone new strikes but maintain the naval blockade

Doha reported progress after the White House meeting

Qatar said on Tuesday that it sees 'progress' in the talks between the United States and Iran, adding that Doha, as a key mediator, is 'working tirelessly' to resolve the uncertainty in the crisis between Washington and Tehran. The statement came a day after Qatar's Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, met with US President Donald Trump at the White House, reports euronews.

Assessments and conditions of the parties

Ibrahim bin Sultan Al Hashmi, Director of the Media and Communications Department at Qatar's Foreign Ministry, said at a weekly briefing in Doha that the White House meeting took place 'in a positive atmosphere' and focused on advancing the talks, but stressed: 'We cannot say how close or far an agreement is.' According to him, mediation efforts continue, and both sides are making positive statements about a diplomatic solution. He also said that Qatari officials held talks in Tehran and consulted with other governments in the region ahead of Sheikh Mohammed's visit to Washington.

The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz remains a key point of contention

Trump said that Persian Gulf countries, including Qatar and Saudi Arabia, had urged him to refrain from new strikes; he agreed to do so for now, but to maintain the naval blockade. Tehran proposed resuming talks within two days if Washington halts the attacks, lifts the blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz and lifts part of the sanctions; talks on Iran's nuclear program were expected later. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei defended the proposal on Monday, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had earlier called part of Tehran's conditions 'outrageous and ridiculous.' Al Hashmi warned that the continued closure of the strait would hit the most vulnerable hardest, and called for shipping along the key export route for oil and liquefied natural gas from the Persian Gulf to resume as soon as possible. On Tuesday, Sheikh Mohammed also joined the ministers of Saudi Arabia, France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy in Paris to discuss the war on the sidelines of the G7 meeting.