Qatar: Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani will visit Tehran on Thursday as Doha seeks to revive diplomatic efforts between the United States and Iran and help ease regional tensions after months of conflict.
Qatar, a US ally and neighbouring Gulf state, has acted as a back-channel mediator between Washington and Tehran and played a role in securing a ceasefire in June. The latest visit comes as fighting has largely paused but negotiations remain stalled, with the two sides still divided over sanctions, the Strait of Hormuz and the terms of a broader diplomatic settlement.
The conflict began on February 28, according to the report, and has sharply disrupted traffic through the strategic waterway. The Strait of Hormuz previously carried about 20 million barrels of crude oil per day, roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies. Ship-tracking data showed flows had fallen to about 5 million barrels per day on Monday.
What will Qatar discuss with Iran in Tehran?
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Sheikh Mohammed would discuss Qatar’s mediation efforts and broader regional developments during his visit.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said discussions would include freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, efforts to de-escalate tensions and conditions for returning to the situation that existed before February 28.
The Strait has become a central point of contention between Iran and the United States. Tehran has sought to maintain leverage over the waterway, while Washington has opposed restrictions on international shipping.
The International Maritime Organization has reported 70 incidents in the Strait of Hormuz since February 28, resulting in the deaths of 19 seafarers.
Why is the Strait of Hormuz central to US-Iran tensions?
Iran and Oman have held talks over arrangements for managing traffic through the strategic waterway, but an agreement has not yet been finalised.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said Wednesday that Tehran and Muscat had reached an understanding over control of the strait and its revenues. However, a senior Iranian source told Reuters that negotiations were still continuing over the details.
Brigadier General Hossein Mohebbi, an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps spokesperson, said the strait would remain closed unless Washington met Tehran’s conditions under the June interim ceasefire arrangement.
Those conditions include an end to the US blockade of Iranian ports, compensation and the removal of sanctions.
Meanwhile, Washington has signalled increased economic pressure on Tehran, including measures targeting Iran’s trading partners with additional sanctions.
Qatar’s diplomatic initiative comes as both sides face pressure to prevent further escalation and restore negotiations over the unresolved issues surrounding the conflict, sanctions and navigation through one of the world’s most important energy corridors.