Qatari PM's talks with Trump, Vance yield 'good progress' on Iran

Diplomatic push in Washington

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani held separate talks with US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance late Monday, making "good progress" on negotiations with Iran, according to a source familiar with the diplomatic discussions cited by Al Jazeera. The informed diplomatic source told the channel that the discussions sought to narrow differences between Washington and Tehran and advance the stalled negotiations, though no details were provided on whether the talks produced a concrete agreement.

Trump cites 'positive momentum'

Trump described his conversation with Sheikh Mohammed as "excellent" and said they discussed Iran extensively. "We are seeing positive momentum toward an end to this Conflict," he wrote on his Truth Social platform. The US president stated that Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait and other countries favored maintaining the US naval blockade on Iran, adding that they agreed Iran must not acquire a nuclear weapon — a position he called "non-negotiable."

Tehran dismisses asset-swap reports

Earlier Monday, an unnamed Iranian official told the semiofficial Fars News Agency that reports suggesting talks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the release of $8 billion in frozen Iranian assets were false. The official said Tehran would engage only within the framework of seven conditions it had conveyed to Washington. These include lifting the naval blockade and unilateral sanctions, ensuring safe passage through the strategic strait, releasing frozen assets, and ending the war.

The United States and Israel launched military attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, and although a ceasefire was reached in April, fighting between Washington and Tehran resumed in July as diplomatic efforts stalled.