Qatar says mediation between US and Iran continues to make progress

Qatar's mediation between the United States and Iran is ongoing and has gained momentum over recent days and weeks, the Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday, Qatar Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Ibrahim bin Sultan Al Hashmi, director of the ministry's Media and Communication Department, made the remarks during the ministry's weekly media briefing.

Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani met US Vice President JD Vance in Washington on Monday, Al Hashmi said.

The prime minister later held a closed-door meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House, where the discussions addressed the regional situation and progress in US-Iran negotiations.

Al Hashmi described the White House meeting as "positive" and said it focused on narrowing the gaps between the two sides.

He said progress is being made and the mediator is working continuously to bridge the differences between the parties' positions, with details to be disclosed once the final terms of any agreement are settled.

Qatari efforts included visits by Qatari officials to Tehran, followed by talks with regional states and relevant partners, Al Hashmi said.

On the Strait of Hormuz, he said the continued closure, combined with the arrival of winter, adds to the costs for all nations, particularly vulnerable populations facing the global energy crisis.

He called for every possible effort to resolve the crisis and restore freedom of navigation through the strait as soon as possible.

Al Hashmi also reaffirmed Qatar's full solidarity with Saudi Arabia over measures it may take to protect its security and territorial integrity.

Separately, he addressed remarks the prime minister made in an interview with journalist Piers Morgan about undisciplined media practices linked to the mediation process.

He also referred to a statement by the prime minister on Friday that was taken out of context, distorted and widely circulated, which he described as a fabricated statement.

Al Hashmi said such deliberate distortion and misinformation could derail the mediation process, and he urged media outlets not to take matters out of context.

He said everyone has a responsibility to verify the sources of information, their context, the evidence behind them and the entities involved.

The Strait of Hormuz is a key shipping route for oil and gas exports from Gulf producers.