Washington (TDI): US President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani at the White House on Monday, as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict with Iran continue to face significant obstacles.
According to the White House schedule, the two leaders will hold a closed-door meeting. US Vice President JD Vance is also expected to meet the Qatari prime minister, a US official said.
Qatar has played a key intermediary role between Washington and Tehran, conveying proposals and seeking to bridge differences over Iran’s nuclear program and the conditions for ending the conflict.
The meeting comes amid uncertainty over the prospects for a diplomatic breakthrough, with both sides yet to resolve major differences.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday that negotiations with Iran had made limited progress and that he did not see an imminent breakthrough.
Read More: Trump Says Further Strikes on Iran ‘Highly Unlikely’ If Talks Progress
Speaking to reporters before departing Florida for a G7 foreign ministers’ meeting in Paris, Rubio said Trump preferred a diplomatic solution but described Tehran’s demands as unacceptable.
He characterized some Iranian proposals as “outrageous and ridiculous” and said they were not realistic. Rubio added that several countries were continuing to engage with Iran and explore possible solutions, but cautioned against expecting an agreement in the immediate future.
Trump said on Sunday that further US military strikes against Iran were highly unlikely if negotiations progressed and resulted in a strong agreement.
However, he warned that Washington had identified additional infrastructure targets, including bridges, that could be struck if military action became necessary.
Read More: Trump Warns Iran Could Face ‘Further Destruction’ as IRGC Claims Downing of Two US Drones
His remarks suggested that the United States was keeping military options open while allowing diplomatic efforts to continue.
Qatar’s engagement with Washington comes at a critical stage, as regional diplomacy seeks to narrow differences between the United States and Iran and prevent further escalation.
