United States President Donald Trump will hold closed-door talks with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani at the White House on Monday to discuss a new ceasefire and the resumption of nuclear negotiations with Iran.
White House Meets Qatar on Iran Talks
Regional mediators press for a diplomatic resolution as the Qatari prime minister is scheduled to meet separately with Vice President JD Vance before his meeting with President Donald Trump, according to reports from Axios cited by Bastille Post.
Vance has spent recent weeks engaged in indirect talks with Iranian counterparts, speaking with Sheikh Mohammed almost daily. Sheikh Mohammed, who also serves as foreign minister, has acted as an intermediary between Washington and Tehran to prevent the situation in the region from spiraling out of control, according to Al Jazeera TV reports from Saturday.
Saudi Arabia’s Arab News noted that America and Iran are drawing closer to a possible breakthrough to finish their conflict, with Tehran demonstrating a readiness to converse about atomic program matters previously deemed non-negotiable. Iran had been proposing its own seven-day plan since September, which was previously rejected by Trump.
Under the seven-day proposal, Washington was asked to remove the blockade on Iranian ports, release frozen funds, and authorize an Iranian-supported passage through the Strait of Hormuz before the contested channel would open again.
Tehran Demands Ceasefire Terms to Negotiate Nuclear Activities
This enrichment boost followed the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear deal in 2018.
Tehran has long maintained that its nuclear programme is peaceful. It is unwilling to hold negotiations over atomic activities with the Trump administration until the U.S. agrees to core conditions that Tehran demands as part of any ceasefire agreement.
Officials stated that Tehran’s ceasefire terms include ending the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, lifting economic sanctions, unfreezing Iranian assets, paying reparations for war-related damages, and securing a complete cessation of hostilities in the region, including Israeli military operations in Lebanon.
🇺🇸🇶🇦🇮🇷 Trump is expected to meet Qatar’s PM as Doha pushes a diplomatic off-ramp in the U. S.-Iran conflict. Qatar has emerged as one of the main intermediaries trying to get Washington and Tehran back toward a deal, including proposals tied to the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s…
Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to reporters in Florida before departing for a G7 foreign ministers’ meeting in Paris. He said that while President Donald Trump prefers a diplomatic solution, Iranian demands are not just unacceptable, but in some cases, outrageous and ridiculous and really not realistic.
Rubio added that Trump identified a very real threat
in Iran and noted that confronting difficult security challenges isn’t necessarily popular, but necessary.
Rubio also stated that the United States will take defensive actions if needed.
Trump Considers Military Action Based on Potential Agreement
Trump stated in an interview with CBS “60 Minutes” that aired Sunday that he was not looking to escalate the war. He noted that he did not think there was any reason to do so because Iran’s nuclear material is buried under thousands of tons of rock
and its conventional military capabilities and nuclear program have regressed significantly.
Trump reiterated in a telephone interview with CNN reported by Jordannews that it depends on whether or not they sign a very strong agreement,
adding that the U.S. military is ready to act on short notice if he changes his mind and orders renewed strikes, claiming the U.S. could destroy 38 Iranian bridges within a single hour.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded to the diplomatic standstill on Sunday, stating that Tehran awaited a formal Washington response to its latest proposal. Araghchi stated that American voters had made their choice and it was time for the White House to make its own, warning that the proposal stands if requirements are met, but choosing war would bring a severe response from alert and battle-hardened forces.
Iran’s security chief, Mohsen Rezaei, warned Trump against renewed attacks, stating that starting war would bring a devastating response. Tasnim news agency reported earlier on minor strikes involving Qeshm Island as Central Command forces carried out limited operations hitting an anti-aircraft device.