Qatar secured ‘at least two weeks’ for diplomacy to avert US strike on Iran

Diplomatic sources tell i24NEWS that significant gaps remain between Washington and Tehran, including over the sequencing of steps in a potential agreement

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Vehicles drive past a huge billboard depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaking at the U.N. General Assembly while seats are empty, referring to some delegations leaving the hall during his address in September, at the Islamic Revolution Square in Tehran, Iran, Monday, Oct. 12, 2026.
Vehicles drive past a huge billboard depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaking at the U.N. General Assembly while seats are empty, referring to some delegations leaving the hall during his address in September, at the Islamic Revolution Square in Tehran, Iran, Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. AP/Vahid Salemi

Qatar has secured “at least two weeks” of breathing room to pursue diplomacy aimed at averting a US strike on Iran, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told G7 foreign ministers in Paris, according to diplomatic sources who spoke to i24NEWS.

The window will be used to advance efforts to reach understandings between Washington and Tehran and prevent a resumption of the war, the sources said.

Al Thani met with G7 foreign ministers and his Saudi counterpart following talks Tuesday at the White House with US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. Qatar is serving as the primary mediator between Washington and Tehran.

The US is talking to Qatar about Iran, but will it go anywhere this time?
The US is talking to Qatar about Iran, but will it go anywhere this time?

Following the White House meeting, Trump said in a Truth Social post that progress had been made toward ending the war with Iran. He declared that Iran had “militarily, effectively already been defeated,” while leaving open the possibility of further strikes.

In Paris, Al Thani told participants that significant differences remained between the two sides, including over the timing and implementation of any agreement.

“There is a dispute regarding the sequence of steps—including the lifting of the naval blockade, the nuclear issue, and the unfreezing of Iranian assets,” he told participants.

Al Thani also stressed the need to rebuild trust between Washington and Tehran to bring both sides back to the negotiating table.

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