President Trump on Friday discussed ongoing diplomatic efforts and ways to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East in a phone call with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, as the region braces for a possible escalation in Washington’s war with Iran.
The two discussed Qatar’s mediation efforts with Iran, according to a statement from the emir’s office, which have only accelerated in recent days as the Gulf state’s diplomats fly back and forth between Doha and Tehran.
Diplomats from Qatar and Pakistan have ferried peace proposals back and forth for months, hoping to avoid an escalation that could put the entire region at risk. Qatar faced missile and drone attacks from Iran during the earlier phase of the war, which began in February.
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Mr. Al Thani’s office added that the Qataris are seeking “a comprehensive agreement that ends the crisis and achieves security and stability in the region.”
The call comes as hope for a diplomatic agreement between Iran and the U.S. remains low. While there was significant momentum late last month behind a two-day framework agreement that would have opened the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, positions have seemingly hardened since the U.S. midterm elections.
Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and confidant of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, reiterated this week that the latest U.S. proposals have failed to meet Iran’s seven demands.
Those demands include the release of more than $12 billion in frozen Iranian assets, the removal of sanctions, the removal of U.S. forces from the region and a regional ceasefire.
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