Qatar PM to Visit Tehran, Seek to Revive US-Iran Dialogue

Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, is expected to visit Tehran on Thursday to discuss measures to de-escalate tensions and revive dialogue between Iran and the US.

Majed al-Ansari, spokesperson for Qatar's Foreign Ministry, announced the visit in a statement posted on social media platform X on Wednesday. He said Sheikh Mohammed would meet with "a number of Iranian officials" in Tehran to discuss "ways to reduce escalation" and "facilitate dialogue."

"The visit is part of the State of Qatar's firm stance that the diplomatic path is the best way to resolve differences and enhance security and stability in the region," al-Ansari emphasized.

Iran also confirmed the visit, saying the talks would address "the continuation of Qatar's mediation efforts and initiatives, along with other regional developments."

Qatar has previously served as an informal intermediary channel between Washington and Tehran, helping broker a memorandum in June to suspend hostile actions. However, that agreement collapsed in July, and the conflict has now lasted nearly six months, with fighting largely quieted but no diplomatic breakthrough achieved.

Meanwhile, the US is committed to increasing economic pressure on Tehran through sanctions targeting Iran's trading partners. US President Donald Trump told Al Jazeera on Wednesday that he is "in no hurry" to resume talks with Iran, adding that both economic and military measures against Tehran are proving effective.

"I have no timeline; whatever is necessary," he said.

'Economic terrorism'

Iran continues to condemn the US economic pressure campaign. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote to the United Nations on Wednesday, calling the new sanctions an "act of state and economic terrorism" and urging member states not to enforce them.

"The sanctions deliberately harm civilians by restricting access to food, medicine, medical equipment, energy, and other essentials, violating rights including the right to life, health care, food, and an adequate standard of living," Araghchi stated.

The two sides also remain at odds over the Strait of Hormuz—a strategic waterway that once carried one-fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas before the US-Israel conflict with Iran erupted in February. Iran wants to control the strait, while the US wants to maintain it as a free international waterway for all nations. This disagreement was one of the reasons behind the collapse of the June memorandum.

Oil traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen to a three-month low of just 5 million barrels per day (bpd) recorded on Monday, compared to roughly 20 million bpd before the war began.

Qatar's Foreign Ministry said Sheikh Mohammed would also discuss the waterway during his meetings in Tehran on Thursday, focusing on "the need to restore the status quo ante of February 28."

Regional diplomacy

Sheikh Mohammed's visit comes two days after Oman's Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi met with his Iranian counterpart Araghchi in Tehran. Following those talks, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the two countries had agreed on a new temporary shipping route through the strait. However, he stressed the waterway would not be reopened until the US fulfills its commitments under the June agreement, including lifting sanctions and releasing frozen assets.

Pakistan's Army Chief of Staff Asim Munir also visited Tehran earlier this week in an effort to "break the deadlock" of the conflict, with Islamabad reporting "significant progress" in the talks.

Mostafa Khoshcheshm, a professor at Tehran University of Applied Sciences, said regional countries are pushing for dialogue because "they believe the situation is heading toward an escalation."

"They know that if war breaks out, it will be a full-scale war, and the flames will spread across the region and beyond, negatively impacting the global economy," he said. "So, there is a flurry of diplomatic activity from these countries."