Trump meets Qatar PM as mediators push Iran deal

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump held what he described as an “excellent” meeting with Qatar’s prime minister on Monday to discuss a potential deal with Iran aimed at preventing a return to all-out war.

After meeting with Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, whose country is leading mediation efforts, Trump wrote on Truth Social that the United States remains “locked and loaded” for a resumption of major combat operations against Iran. 

“At this point, however, that seems to be quite unlikely,” Trump said. “We are seeing positive momentum toward an end to this conflict.”

For months, Trump threatened to resume strikes targeting Iran’s energy infrastructure and nuclear facilities if no deal was reached to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and constrain the Iranian nuclear program. But in an interview with CBS’ “60 Minutes” on Sunday, he said he currently did not see “any reason” to escalate. 

The president's remarks came after an Iranian official said Friday that the country’s nuclear program was “under discussion” with mediators but that talks hinged on meeting Iran’s seven conditions, including the release of billions of dollars in frozen assets held in overseas banks and relief from US sanctions.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday that Tehran was waiting for Washington’s response to its latest two-day proposal. 

“Meet the requirement, including end to war on all fronts, and you will see results,” Araghchi said in an X post. “Or choose war, and see our alert and battle-hardened Warriors rain down hell."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio lowered expectations of an imminent deal, telling reporters on Sunday that some of Iran’s demands were “outrageous and ridiculous.”

“I wouldn’t say we’re on the verge of a breakthrough,” Rubio said before departing for the G7 meeting in Paris. “The president would always prefer to solve this and every problem diplomatically. Sometimes that’s not possible, unfortunately.”

The Trump administration is seeking upfront concessions on Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium as well as access for international inspectors, who have been barred from the country’s main nuclear sites since US strikes in June 2025.

The memorandum of understanding reached in mid-June did not require Iran to make initial nuclear concessions but committed both sides to holding additional talks on a final agreement. The deal unraveled shortly after its signing amid disputes over shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.  

Middle East Eye reported Monday that Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin said Qatar would host Vice President JD Vance and Mohsen Rezaei, the hard-line secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, for talks next week.

A senior Iranian official denied there were plans for a meeting, according to state broadcaster Press TV. The White House did not respond to Al-Monitor’s request for comment.

Vance raised eyebrows a day after Democrats won majorities in both the House and Senate, writing in an X post that his party’s defeat was due to the Iran war’s unpopularity. The vice president, who led the US delegation in April’s talks with Iranian officials in Islamabad, wrote to Rezaei last month suggesting another round of negotiations between the two sides.