Qatari negotiators visit Iran to revive Washington-Tehran talks after ceasefire collapse: Report | Today’s news
Qatari negotiators traveled to Iran on Friday in an effort to ease tensions and pave the way for the resumption of nuclear and security talks between Washington and Tehran, days after US President Donald Trump said a ceasefire deal with Iran was effectively “over”, a CNN report said, citing a diplomat familiar with the visit.
The report said the trip was coordinated with the United States and is part of a broader diplomatic effort to reduce tensions following a sharp military escalation between the two countries.
Qatar is trying to restore diplomacy
According to the news outlet, the discussions are aimed at creating the conditions for a resumption of talks between the US and Iran after recent exchanges of military strikes threatened to derail diplomatic efforts.
The military escalation raised fears of a wider conflict
The latest diplomatic initiative follows several days of military confrontation between Washington and Tehran.
The United States claimed that Iran was involved in attacks on commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz and responded with strikes against targets in Iran.
Tehran retaliated with attacks on US military bases in Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan, raising fears of a wider regional conflict.
US conducts ‘limited strikes and diplomacy’
CNN quoted a US official as saying Washington had adopted a strategy of conducting limited military strikes followed by pauses to prevent the conflict from spiraling while allowing diplomatic efforts to continue.
“Diplomacy is happening behind the scenes to ease tensions in the US-Iran conflict,” the official said.
The report added that the US maintains a list of potential military targets as leverage, while remaining ready for further action if necessary. But several officials said the Trump administration is currently giving diplomacy a chance to succeed before considering other military options.
Egypt calls for return to talks
Egypt also stepped up diplomatic efforts on Friday.
During a telephone conversation, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani called on both Washington and Tehran to prioritize diplomacy.
According to a statement from Egypt’s foreign ministry, the two leaders called on “all parties to prefer the language of diplomacy and dialogue and return to the negotiating table.”
Their withdrawal came after Trump said the United States had agreed to continue negotiations with Iran, although he reiterated that the ceasefire between the two countries was no longer in place.
