A Qatari negotiating team arrived in Tehran on Friday, working in coordination with the United States to help secure a final deal to end the ongoing US-Iran war and resolve outstanding disputes, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Doha’s re-engagement is a significant development. Despite its history as a trusted back-channel between Washington and Tehran, Qatar had distanced itself from mediating after coming under heavy fire during the latest conflict. Iranian missiles and drones severely damaged Qatar's civilian infrastructure and its vital Ras Laffan liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility, wiping out roughly 17 percent of the country's LNG export capacity.
The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet commented on the team's arrival.
A shaky ceasefire is currently holding in the war, which was sparked by US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. However, a major breakthrough has been stalled by a US blockade of Iranian ports and Tehran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Before the conflict, about 20 percent of global LNG trade transited the strait; its closure has essentially halted all Qatari LNG exports.
Speaking on the progress of negotiations, a senior Iranian source told Reuters that while no final deal has been reached, gaps between the two sides are narrowing. Iran's uranium enrichment program and its control over the Strait of Hormuz remain the primary sticking points.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also expressed cautious optimism. "There are some good signs. I don't want to be overly optimistic... let's see what happens over the next few days," he said on Thursday.
When asked about the Qatari team on Friday at a NATO foreign ministers' gathering in Sweden, Rubio clarified that Pakistan remains the primary official mediator and has done an "admirable job."
"Obviously, other countries have interests, especially Gulf countries that are in the middle of all this," Rubio added. "We talk to all of them, but the primary country we've been working with is Pakistan, and that remains the case."
Qatar is a designated major non-NATO ally of the United States and hosts the Al Udeid Air Base, the largest US military installation in the Middle East.
