Trump to meet Iran war mediator Qatar, no imminent deal seen to end the war

Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani is due to meet Trump and Vice President JD Vance in Washington after visiting Tehran last week. Qatar has conveyed messages between the sides and proposed ways to bridge their differences. Iran’s proposal calls for the US blockade of its ports to end, some sanctions to be lifted and bombing to stop, in exchange for Tehran ending its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz; nuclear talks would come later. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Iran’s conditions unrealistic, while Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei defended the plan as the most reasonable offer on the table.

Rubio said he did not believe a diplomatic breakthrough was imminent, and a senior United Arab Emirates official said a comprehensive political settlement appeared difficult. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he had urged Trump to avoid a new escalation and said Turkey was working to prevent one.

Iranian state media reported US strikes on Qeshm island, while an Iranian official said the strikes did not affect vital infrastructure or services. A senior Iranian source said US strikes targeted radar systems and bases for missile launchers and mine-laying systems. Attacks on tankers in the Gulf and Strait of Hormuz have continued at the highest rate since the war began, according to figures from international maritime agencies. Iran’s state television said 11 tankers had been disabled over 10 days, and the Houthi group said it struck a Saudi Aramco office building in Riyadh; Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry acknowledged damage from an attempted attack.