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Qatar says US-Iran mediation goes on after Trump confirms 'minor' strikes on Qeshm
Doha's prime minister reported notable progress and said he is confident of a settlement, a day after missiles hit the island near the Strait of Hormuz.
Key points
- Qatar's prime minister said mediation between Washington and Tehran continues to prevent escalation and reported notable progress.
- President Donald Trump confirmed "minor strikes" that knocked out an anti-aircraft device on Qeshm island; Iran's media reported two missile hits.
- They were the first strikes since the US midterms, which Trump has blamed the Iran war for losing.
Qatar said on Saturday that its mediation between the United States and Iran is continuing to keep tensions from spilling into a wider war, a day after missiles struck Iran’s Qeshm island near the Strait of Hormuz and President Donald Trump confirmed American strikes.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qatar’s prime minister and foreign minister, said the US administration still wants a solution after the midterm elections. He reported notable progress and said he was confident a settlement can be reached, adding that a good agreement is the aim rather than a perfect one.
Majed al-Ansari, the Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson, rejected reports that the talks had failed. He said such claims serve those who want to prolong the war.
What happened on Qeshm
Iranian state media reported two missile strikes in the Suza area of the island, and the state broadcaster said Iran had destroyed an American MQ-9 drone over it. Trump called the American action “minor strikes” that took out an anti-aircraft device. He said Washington was in touch with Iranian representatives and had made “a lot of progress”.
US Central Command described the situation as “relatively calm” and declined further comment. It also announced a reward of up to $20 million for information about Iran’s nuclear programme.
Where the two sides stand
The strikes were the first since Trump’s Republican Party lost ground in the midterm elections, a setback he has blamed on the Iran war. Regional states had expected he might resume attacks after the vote. Iran has said it would retaliate against US and Israeli targets in neighbouring countries if attacked.
Iran has put forward its own seven-day plan, which Trump has rejected. It asks Washington to lift its blockade of Iranian ports, unfreeze assets and approve an Iranian-backed route through the Strait of Hormuz, after which the waterway would reopen.