Qatar PM In Tehran For Last-Ditch Mediation As US Hits Iran With Fresh Economic Sanctions

Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, has arrived in Tehran to push for a return to dialogue, as tensions between Washington and Tehran escalate into what Iranian officials are calling an “all-out economic war.”

The visit, which took place on Thursday, comes at a time when the White House says no direct talks are ongoing with Iran.

Qatar, which shares maritime borders with Iran and has a history of back-channel diplomacy, was instrumental in brokering the June ceasefire that halted direct hostilities after months of fighting. That truce has largely held, but diplomatic efforts have since stalled.

At the heart of the current impasse is the Strait of Hormuz ,the world’s most critical oil transit chokepoint, through which one-fifth of global oil passed before the war started on February 28. 2026

According to statements from both Doha and Tehran, Sheikh Mohammed, who doubles as Qatar’s Foreign Minister, met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to discuss a new phased de-escalation plan.

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that the framework under discussion includes the creation of a temporary joint Iranian-Omani shipping corridor and a joint operation to clear naval mines from the waterway.

Tehran has insisted the strait will remain closed until Washington fulfills conditions in the June interim agreement including lifting its blockade on Iranian ports, removal of sanctions, and compensation for damages. Washington opposes Iran’s move to charge commissions on vessels passing through the strait.

A memorandum of understanding signed by the US and Iran in June collapsed largely over disagreements on how to manage the strait.

On Wednesday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed a revenue-sharing deal had been reached with Oman over the strait, but a senior Iranian official later clarified that details were still being negotiated.

In Washington, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump is keeping “all options on the table.”

In an interview with Fox News on Thursday, Leavitt stated:

“We’ve had Operation Epic Fury to destroy their military. Now we have Operation Economic Outcast to destroy their economy. No negotiations are happening right now, and this will continue until the president feels that maybe they come to the table in a meaningful way. We have not seen that yet.”

The comments came as the US announced a new wave of sanctions aimed at cutting Iran off from its remaining trading partners.

Reacting to the move, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Thursday called for national unity, describing the situation as an “all-out economic war” and warning that internal division is “exactly what the enemy wants.”

Ebrahim Azizi, head of Iran’s parliamentary national security committee, described the sanctions as “inhumane and hostile,” but claimed they had lost their effectiveness. Iran has been under various US sanctions since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Despite heavy losses to its conventional forces during earlier bombardment, Tehran still retains missile and drone capabilities posing a threat to regional shipping.

The International Maritime Organization says 70 maritime incidents have been recorded in the Strait of Hormuz since February 28, killing 19 seafarers. Thousands more have died, mostly in Iran and Lebanon, since the joint US-Israeli operation began with stated aims to deny Iran a nuclear weapon, dismantle its missile program, and pressure its government.