Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, will visit Iran to discuss ways to reduce tensions in the region, according to a statement from the Qatari foreign ministry. The announcement marks a fresh mediation effort by Doha, which has previously served as a channel between Washington and Tehran.
On Wednesday, President Trump said in an interview with Al Jazeera that he had no time schedule for Iran to return to the negotiating table, striking a less urgent tone than earlier in his administration. ‘I have no time schedule,’ Trump said when asked when he expects Iran to resume talks. The remarks were interpreted by analysts as a departure from the ‘maximum pressure’ campaign that characterised his first term.
Trump's comments come amid a stalemate in indirect talks between the US and Iran, which broke down in June over the scope of sanctions relief and uranium enrichment limits. Iran has continued to enrich uranium to near weapons-grade levels, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency, while the US has maintained crippling economic sanctions.
The Qatari mediation effort is seen as a bid to prevent further escalation, particularly after a series of incidents in the Persian Gulf involving Iranian naval vessels and commercial shipping. Doha has maintained close ties with both Washington and Tehran, positioning itself as a neutral broker.
Iran has not yet confirmed the visit, but state media reported that the Qatari PM was expected ‘in the coming days.’ The Iranian foreign ministry has repeatedly said it is open to negotiations but only if the US lifts sanctions and provides guarantees that it will not withdraw from any agreement again.
Trump's administration has signaled it is willing to engage diplomatically but has insisted on verifiable limits on Iran's nuclear programme. The US has also demanded that Iran halt its support for regional proxies in Yemen, Lebanon, and Iraq.
No date has been set for the Qatari PM's visit, but sources suggest it could happen within the week.