Qatari Delegation Arrives in Tehran to Review Mediation Process to End US-Iran War
A Qatari delegation and a diplomat arrived in Tehran today as part of the mediation process to end the war between Iran and the United States. An adviser to Qatar’s foreign minister has been dispatched to Iran, as reported by Iran’s ISNA news agency. Another Iranian news agency, Tasnim, stated the purpose of the visit was to ‘review the latest developments related to the diplomatic process’. A diplomat familiar with the situation said that ‘Qatari negotiators flew to Tehran this morning’ to help facilitate the finalisation of an agreement.
Meanwhile, Pakistan, which is leading mediation to end the months-long Middle East war, and the US have indicated that a deal to halt the fighting would be signed on Sunday. However, Iran has cast doubt on that timeline, with Iranian media reporting that a final decision on the framework has yet to be made.
US President Donald Trump stated that the long-awaited deal to end the war in the Middle East has been scheduled, claiming the signing would take place today. Trump assessed that the signing of the agreement would pave the way for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic shipping lane that serves as a vital artery for global energy trade. ‘The deal is scheduled to be signed tomorrow, and as soon as it is signed, the Strait of Hormuz is OPEN TO ALL,’ Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform on Saturday. Trump’s statement drew international attention given the strait’s importance for global oil and gas distribution.
Iran’s armed forces, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), denied Trump’s claim that Iran would sign an agreement with the United States on Sunday. The IRGC criticised Trump’s ‘extraordinary insistence’ on signing the agreement today, describing the signing schedule as a ‘test for Iran’s negotiating team’. The IRGC stated that Trump’s announcement was made ‘despite Iranian negotiators explicitly stating that the memorandum has not been finalised and that signing on Sunday will definitely not happen’. In a post on Telegram, the group suggested Trump intended to schedule the signing to coincide with his birthday on 14 June, stating: ‘Some observers believe his insistence may be driven by a desire to use the occasion symbolically and turn it into a personal publicity event.’