Qatari PM to visit Tehran today to pursue mediation efforts, discuss Strait of Hormuz

Qatar’s prime minister will visit Tehran today in a bid to relaunch diplomacy after the US and Iran traded recriminations over Washington’s promise to increase economic pressure on Tehran by targeting its trade partners with sanctions.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani will discuss the continuation of Qatar’s mediation efforts and other developments in the region during his visit, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei says ahead of time.

The visit comes as the war started by the US and Israel on February 28 nears its sixth month, with fighting largely paused but no diplomatic breakthrough in sight. Both sides are at odds over control of the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for global oil supplies that Tehran has used as leverage.

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson says on X that al-Thani will also address freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the need to return to the pre-February 28 status quo, while also discussing with Iranian officials ways to “de-escalate tensions and create the conditions conducive to dialogue.”

A Gulf neighbor of Iran and a US ally, Qatar has served as a back-channel negotiator for the warring parties and played a direct role in securing the June ceasefire that briefly led to a cessation of hostilities.