Iran war: Qatar pushes deal efforts under Trump’s shadow as Hormuz risks grow

Qatar renews peace efforts

A Qatari delegation arrived in Iran on Friday to press for an agreement ending the war with the United States, according to Iran’s IRNA news agency, Reuters and AFP. The group is led by a senior adviser to Qatar’s prime minister and foreign minister and is expected to meet senior Iranian officials.

IRNA said the talks would cover ties between Qatar and Iran as well as regional developments. Tehran wants Washington to lift its blockade of Iranian ports and remove sanctions restricting Iranian oil and gas sales.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Wednesday that his country was still giving diplomacy a chance and was reviewing proposals with mediators. Iran wants a proposal it put forward last month to serve as the basis for a new ceasefire, although Trump rejected it.

Vance letter remains unanswered

Iran has not responded to a letter from Vice President JD Vance addressed to senior Iranian figure Mohsen Rezaei, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency and Iranian media. Reports have described the letter as an effort to restart peace talks.

Trump said Wednesday that Vance’s contact was intended to help bring medical supplies into Iran, not to revive broader negotiations. At the same time, Trump has acknowledged high-level contact with Iran’s government while retaining the threat of major strikes.

Strait sees fresh shipping incidents

A day earlier, Iran’s armed forces said at least four tankers had stopped after striking sea mines. Separately, the U.K. navy’s Maritime Trade Operations center reported that a tanker was hit by a projectile Thursday evening, with no crew injuries or environmental damage reported at the time.

It was not clear whether the vessel hit by the projectile was among the four ships Iran said struck mines. The timing of the U.K. report suggested it might have been a separate event.

Other reported war developments

The Pentagon added two service member deaths to its official count of U.S. casualties since the war began more than eight months ago, bringing the total to 23. The Washington Post quoted the Air Force as saying both were airmen whose deaths were classified as nonhostile; one died from an illness, while the other cause is under investigation.

A Saudi-led coalition said Friday it intercepted and destroyed a drone in the Mecca region that it said was fired by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The Houthis denied trying to attack Saudi Arabia, Reuters reported.