Qatar said on Tuesday that its mediation efforts between the United States and Iran remain ongoing, following diplomatic talks in Doha over the weekend.
Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson Majed bin Mohammed Al-Ansari said a Qatari delegation had held an extensive meeting in Tehran to exchange proposals as Doha continued its diplomatic efforts to secure an agreement.
He warned that additional military escalation would complicate negotiations.
“Mediation efforts continue with a view to reaching an agreement that brings the crisis to an end through a diplomatic solution and prevents further escalation in the region,” Al-Ansari said.
The remarks come as both Washington and Tehran have indicated they remain open to diplomacy, even as they continue exchanging military warnings.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Oct. 31 that negotiations with Iran were going fine and that he was not “in much of a hurry” to reach an agreement, while adding that Washington still needed to address one or two Iranian nuclear sites.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance told reporters on Monday that Washington had held “a number of good conversations” with Iran and that both he and Trump felt positive about the prospects for a negotiated settlement.
The United States has not imposed any deadline for reaching an agreement, Vance said, adding that Washington remains focused on preventing Iran from rebuilding its nuclear program after U.S. strikes.
The Trump administration believes there is “a pathway” to an agreement if Iran makes a “firm commitment and a verifiable commitment” not to rebuild its nuclear program, Vance added.
Gulf States
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday that Tehran appreciated Qatar and Oman’s diplomatic efforts and was continuing dialogue with Saudi Arabia.
“We harbor no hostility toward the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council,” Araghchi wrote on X. “Our goal is to reach new regional security arrangements carried out by the countries of the region themselves, away from any foreign military presence.”
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) comprises Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Since the outbreak of the conflict in February, Iranian attacks have affected GCC states through strikes on military and civilian targets, as well as repeated threats to maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz.
GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi said on Oct. 31 that Iranian attacks had tested the region’s security despite Gulf states not being parties to the conflict.
U.S. Central Command on Nov. 1 rejected the claim that Iran had not attacked civilians in neighboring countries. It said Iran deliberately targeted civilian infrastructure, neighborhoods, and commercial shipping, saying more than 20 civilian mariners had been killed in recent months.
The Iran conflict has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints for oil and liquefied natural gas exports. At the same time, recent attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi terrorist group on Saudi Arabia and fighting in Yemen have heightened risks around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the southern gateway to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.
Together, the two waterways handle a significant share of global energy shipments and trade between the Middle East, Europe, and Asia, making their security critical to global supply chains and energy markets.
Al-Ansari said freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and the Arabian Gulf remained a core priority.
“We reject any threats against Qatari or other vessels,” he said, reaffirming Qatar’s support for Yemen’s internationally recognized government and condemning recent Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.
