Trump and Vance to Meet Qatar's Prime Minister as US-Iran War Diplomacy Intensifies

US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance are scheduled to meet Qatar's prime minister and foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, in Washington on Monday, as diplomatic efforts to wind down the conflict with Iran gain momentum. The Qatari mediator travelled to Tehran last week before heading to the US capital for the talks.

More than eight months after the war began, fighting continues on several fronts. Iranian state media reported that the US struck Iran's Qeshm island overnight, while Iran has targeted tankers in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz this month. Yemen's Houthi allies have also carried out attacks on Saudi Arabia, according to the source account.

Tehran's proposed truce would require an end to the US blockade of Iranian ports, the lifting of some sanctions and a halt to bombing, in exchange for Iran ending its own blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Talks on Iran's nuclear programme and remaining sanctions would follow. Iran has said the plan could be compressed into a two-day timeframe.

Washington has repeatedly rejected the proposal. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday described Tehran's conditions as "outrageous and ridiculous and really not realistic," while Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei defended the plan on Monday as the most reasonable offer available.

Political pressure is mounting inside the US after last week's midterm elections, with senior Republicans including Vance attributing party losses to the Iran war. Despite that pressure, Rubio said he did not expect a diplomatic breakthrough soon, and senior UAE official Anwar Gargash said a comprehensive political settlement appeared difficult, urging preparation for a prolonged period of uncertainty.

The Qatar meeting is being watched as a key test of whether regional mediation can narrow the gap between Washington and Tehran. No agreement has been announced, and officials on both sides have signalled that significant obstacles remain.