Qatar’s PM-FM heads to Tehran as U.S.-Iran diplomacy remains stalled

Qatar’s PM-FM visit to Iran on Thursday marks the first high-profile visit between the two countries since the U.S.-Iran war began on 28 February.Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani is travelling to Tehran on Thursday for talks with Iranian officials, in the first high-profile visit between the two countries since the U.S.-Iran war began on 28 February.Advisor to the Prime Minister and official spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Majed Al-Ansari confirmed the visit in a post on X on Wednesday.Al-Ansari said the visit reflects Qatar’s position that diplomacy remains the best means of resolving disputes and promoting security and stability in the region.“The discussions will also address freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz & the need for it to return to the status quo prior to February 28,” Al-Ansari added.In a statement on Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baqaei said Sheikh Mohammed will discuss Qatar’s ongoing mediation efforts and other regional developments with Iranian officials.Sheikh Mohammed’s Tehran visit also comes as Iran and Oman work towards implementing a temporary shipping arrangement through the Strait of Hormuz, including measures to facilitate maritime navigation and clear mines from parts of the waterway.The Strait of Hormuz has remained one of the most consequential flashpoints of the U.S.-Iran war.The visit comes as the U.S.-Iran war approaches its six-month mark.Although direct fighting has largely subsided, diplomatic efforts to ease tensions remain stalled, with uncertainty continuing over the future of the Strait of Hormuz.Pakistan’s Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, visited Tehran on Monday, meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and other senior officials.In a post on X on Tuesday, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who accompanied Munir, said the two sides had made “significant progress” and discussed steps to restore the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, an interim framework aimed at ending the conflict.Washington and Tehran remain divided over sanctions, the terms of any potential agreement and the conditions for restoring normal navigation through the strategic waterway.U.S. President Donald Trump told Al Jazeera he is “not in a hurry” to resume talks with Iran.The diplomatic impasse comes as Washington has sharply escalated economic pressure on Tehran.On Monday, the U.S. Treasury launched what it called “Operation Economic Outcast”, a broader campaign targeting Iran’s economic networks.The U.S. imposed new sanctions on nearly 60 individuals, entities and vessels across the UAE, Hong Kong, China, Singapore and Switzerland, accusing them of enabling the “Iranian regime’s recklessness”.Washington warned countries and companies doing business with Iran that they could face secondary sanctions, in a move aimed at cutting off Tehran’s access to international revenue and financial networks.Before fighting began on 28 February, around one-fifth of global oil and gas supplies passed through the waterway each day.Since the conflict began, traffic has fallen sharply, disrupting global energy markets and international shipping.