Qatar says efforts to reach a “short term resolution” between the United States and Iran that would prevent further escalation and restart direct talks are at an advanced stage, with draft language circulating between the two sides through regional mediators.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Dr Majed Al Ansari said on Tuesday that Qatar was working with Oman and Pakistan to exchange ideas and proposals between Washington and Tehran and that “the whole region is now working together” by exchanging ideas, to avoid any further escalation and find a resolution.
“Our focus right now is avoiding escalation, reopening the strait and reopening the door for diplomacy between the parties,” Al Ansari told reporters in Doha.
“We can confirm that the efforts are still ongoing with all the parties,” the Qatari foreign ministry spokesman said, adding that “we are looking towards a diplomatic resolution as we are speaking right now. There are current efforts on the ground that are in very progressive stages.”
His comments bring a significant reality check towards the conflicting claims from Washington and Tehran over whether negotiations are taking place.
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that talks were ongoing and described the diplomatic push as Iran’s “last chance” to sign an agreement before further military action.
Iran has denied negotiating with the United States, but Tehran said it is holding discussions with Oman over navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
Al Ansari said there were no direct US-Iran talks scheduled, but mediators were continuing to pass ideas and proposals between the two sides and that they remain “hopeful that if we can get a resumption of the talks any time soon, we would be able to push forward towards a major deal that would help us walk back into a situation of peace in our region.”
He also said Oman has taken an increasingly prominent role in the diplomatic effort over the last two weeks, with Doha coordinating closely with Muscat.
“The mediators, Qatar, Pakistan and now Oman, are all working together on that issue,” he said.
“We are coordinating very closely with the Omanis to facilitate the talks between both sides and exchanging ideas and drafts.”
Asked whether a specific draft agreement had been exchanged, Al Ansari stopped short of confirming that a complete document was on the table.
“The tool of the trade is that drafts are always being exchanged,” he said.
“I won’t comment on a specific draft, but I can tell you that language has been drafted on a possible agreement and is being circulated between the parties.”
Free navigation in Hormuz is now the main focus
The immediate focus of the mediation is securing a short-term agreement “that would help reignite the direct talks,” and that the main focus now is to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“Our focus right now is on avoiding escalation, reopening the strait and reopening the door for diplomacy between the parties,” Al Ansari said.
“What we dont want to see right now is a major escalation in our region and the events are leading in the opposite direction,” the foreign ministry official added.
Trump has said the first phase of an agreement would reopen Hormuz immediately, while a second phase would address Iran’s nuclear programme.
Shipping has been severely disrupted by restrictions and attacks on commercial vessels. A cargo ship reported being struck by an unknown projectile off Oman early on Tuesday, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency.
Al Ansari said Qatar’s priority was to restore freedom of navigation and prevent the strait from being used as political leverage.
“We cannot accept any change to the status quo there,” he said. “We are looking towards a diplomatic resolution that would allow all to use the Strait of Hormuz the way they have always used it.”
He said any future system for managing the strait, including possible financial arrangements, must comply with international law and be agreed across the region.
“It has to be in coordination with all the regional countries, not one or two or any section of them,” he said.
Al Ansari added that the waterway must never again be used as “a tool of political extortion or diplomatic extortion, or as leverage against any regional or international players”.
Qatar would support a new management arrangement if countries across the region agreed to it, he said.
Qatar urges pressure on Israel over Gaza roadmap
Separately, Al Ansari called for international pressure on Israel to implement the Gaza roadmap, saying Hamas and the Palestinian side had complied with what had been agreed.
The roadmap sets out steps for both Israel and Hamas under the wider plan to end the war and move towards Gaza’s recovery and reconstruction.
“On Hamas’s side and the Palestinian side, we have seen adherence to everything that was agreed on the roadmap,” he said. “The expectation is that Israel would do the same.”
Al Ansari urged the international community to press Israel to implement the plan in full.
“We implore the international community to put the right pressure on Israel to implement the plan,” he said.
He also called on Israel to withdraw from Gaza and other occupied territory.
“We think Israel should withdraw from all land that it occupies, in adherence to international law,” Al Ansari said. “This occupation cannot be justified by any current or past security situations.”
Al Ansari said full implementation of the roadmap could put the region on a path towards peace and offer Gaza’s population relief from more than two years of bombardment and humanitarian suffering.