Qatar said on Tuesday that progress had been made in negotiations between the United States and Iran, describing recent White House talks involving Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani as positive, while cautioning that it was too early to predict when an agreement could be reached.
Ibrahim bin Sultan Al Hashmi, director of the Media and Communication Department at Qatar's Foreign Ministry, told a weekly briefing that Qatari mediation efforts had gained momentum, with officials visiting Tehran, holding consultations with regional and international partners, and then engaging in discussions in Washington.
Despite media speculation about possible military strikes, he said diplomatic contacts have continued, with both the United States and Iran making positive statements about the prospects for a negotiated settlement.
Following his trip to Washington, the Qatari prime minister on Tuesday jointed talks with foreign ministers of Britain, France, German, Italy, and the Saudi Arabia in Paris on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers' meeting.
At a press conference following the G7 foreign ministers' meeting, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that there was "no need" for major military operations against Iran.
Rubio said that he had told G7 allies that the effectiveness of U.S. economic sanctions and a naval blockade were working "so well" that U.S. President Donald Trump had no need to launch major combat operations against Iran.
Rubio said that the economic pressure the United States had imposed on Iran would intensify over time, while stressing that the United States remained open to reaching a "real deal" with Iran.
Also on Tuesday, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Mohsen Rezaei said that no talks are currently underway between Iran and the United States.
He emphasized that the Strait of Hormuz will not reopen unless the Iran-proposed conditions are met.
He also said that the United States has not given the clear response to the plan.
On the same day, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi denied plans for meetings between Rezaei and U.S. Vice President JD Vance.
Qatar reports progress in US-Iran negotiations
