U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff met Friday in Miami with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani to discuss ongoing efforts to reach a permanent ceasefire agreement with Iran.

According to a source cited by The Times of Israel, Qatar has been quietly serving as a go-between in the talks, while allowing Pakistan to take a more visible lead in mediation.

The report says the Trump administration had preferred Qatar to play the primary role, given its experience facilitating negotiations in previous conflicts, including the Gaza war. However, Doha has been reluctant to take on a more prominent position, amid concerns it could be blamed if talks collapse or accused of bias if a deal is reached.

The Qatari premier also met with U.S. Vice President JD Vance at the White House on Friday, according to the source.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)