Trump to meet Qatar’s prime minister as Iran diplomacy faces hurdles

US President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani at the White House on Monday as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict with Iran face significant obstacles, including a reported pause in mediators’ work following the US midterm elections.

The meeting, listed on the White House schedule, will take place behind closed doors. US Vice President JD Vance is also scheduled to meet the Qatari leader, according to a US official.

Qatar alongside Pakistan has played a central role as an intermediary between Washington and Tehran, conveying proposals and attempting to bridge differences over Iran’s nuclear programme and the terms for ending the conflict.

Iran says mediators’ work has paused

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Sunday that the US midterm election results had paused mediators’ efforts to facilitate negotiations between Tehran and Washington. Speaking to Iranian state television, he said Iran would have to wait for mediators to resume the diplomatic process.

In a post on X on Monday, Araqchi said most Americans were “disgusted with Israel” and tired of what he described as Israel drawing successive US administrations into “Forever Wars”. He added that the region was also tired of the situation.

Democrats captured majorities in both chambers of Congress in Tuesday’s elections.

Washington signals limited progress in negotiations

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday that negotiations with Iran had made little progress and that he did not expect an imminent breakthrough.

Speaking before departing Florida for a G7 foreign ministers’ meeting in Paris, Rubio said Trump preferred a diplomatic solution but described Iran’s demands as “unacceptable”.

He also called some of Tehran’s demands “outrageous and ridiculous, and really not realistic”.

Trump said on Sunday that he was highly unlikely to order fresh strikes against Iran if negotiations made progress and resulted in a strong agreement.

However, he warned that the United States had identified additional infrastructure targets, including bridges, should military action resume.

Trump signals continued pressure on Iran

In a separate statement on Truth Social, Trump said Task Force Iron Gate was in full force and effect in Iran.

“Coupled with history’s greatest Naval Blockade, very little gets into, or out of, Iran!” he said.

The statement came as Washington maintained pressure on Tehran while diplomatic efforts to end the conflict faced uncertainty.