Majed al-Ansari Says Qatar Seeks Breakthrough as US and Iran Stay Deadlocked

Majed al-Ansari – (Special Respondent/Web Desk) – Qatar says it is still trying to bring Iran and the United States closer to a deal. Foreign ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari told reporters on Tuesday that Doha is carrying messages between both sides.

He said the goal is to find common ground. A deal, he said, could save the whole region from the harm of this long conflict.

The war is now in its eighth month. So far, neither side has found a way out. The Strait of Hormuz also remains restricted, which keeps energy prices high around the world.

Talks seemed to pick up last week at the UN General Assembly in New York. But they have not produced any agreement yet.

Officials from both countries spoke with Qatari mediators on Monday. It is not clear if more calls took place on Tuesday.

Trump denies sanctions relief

Some hope grew after Axios and CNN reported that Trump was ready to ease sanctions. They said he might also free frozen Iranian money if Iran showed real progress on its nuclear work.

Trump quickly shot that down. On social media he wrote that he had offered Iran nothing.

He also said Iran must never get a nuclear weapon. He believes the war will end soon. “I don’t know if they are going to give up yet, but they’ll give up,” he told reporters.

Iran says it does not want nuclear arms. It insists it has the right to a civilian nuclear programme.

President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a CBS interview that Iran is open to talks. However, he said Iran will not accept bullying or pressure.

Iran’s peace plan

Last week Iran shared a peace plan at the United Nations. It would start a seven-day countdown to reopen the strait and pause the fighting.

Trump turned it down on Saturday. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Sunday that no official rejection had reached Iran through mediators.

War pain keeps growing

The war has killed thousands of people. It has also shaken global energy supplies and pushed up the cost of living in many countries.

Iran’s army has been weakened, and its economy was already struggling. Still, Tehran has hit back with missiles and drones aimed at US allies in the Gulf.

Saudi Arabia is also feeling the heat. Houthi fighters, who are close to Iran, have gained ground in Yemen. They now threaten Saudi oil shipments through the Red Sea.

Oil and sanctions

Oil prices fell 2.5% on Tuesday as more crude from the Middle East began to reach the market. Even so, prices are still set to end the month higher.

The US government also offered to lend up to 40 million barrels of oil from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve to energy firms. This is the last batch from a global plan to release emergency stocks.

At the same time, Washington added new pressure on Tehran. It placed sanctions on 10 people and companies, including some in China, Hong Kong and Pakistan. The US says they helped Iran buy weapons and parts.

For now, Qatar’s message-passing goes on. Whether it can end the war is still unknown.