Summary Qatar’s Emir and Trump discussed regional de-escalation as Tehran linked nuclear negotiations with Washington to seven demands amid efforts to end the ongoing war.
DOHA (Reuters) – Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and US President Donald Trump on Friday discussed diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region.
The two leaders discussed the matter during a telephone conversation, according to a statement issued by Doha.
Iran has sent the United States a nuclear proposal via Qatar, to be discussed only after Washington meets Tehran’s seven demands, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Thursday.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the US was reviewing the proposal but declined to provide further details.
Mediators have intensified efforts to end the war between Iran and the United States amid fears it could reignite after the US midterm elections, with Trump on Tuesday declining to rule out a resumption of combat operations after the vote and Iran planning wider retaliation if war resumes.
Iran's top security official Mohsen Rezaei had said earlier on Thursday, during a visit to Russia: "On the issue of diplomacy, we have announced seven conditions to the Americans. As long as they do not execute our seven conditions, we will neither open the Strait of Hormuz nor have negotiations".
Iran has demanded the lifting of US sanctions, the release of frozen Iranian assets and war reparations, among other conditions, while Washington has said nuclear issues must be part of any initial negotiations.
The US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, and Iran responded with strikes on Israel and Gulf states that host US bases. Conflict also erupted in Lebanon between Hezbollah and Israel, and more recently spread to Yemen, from where the Iran-aligned Houthis have struck energy facilities, airports and other targets in Saudi Arabia.
