Secretary of State Marco Rubio met today with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani amid ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at reaching an agreement to end the war involving Iran, according to the State Department.

In a statement released after the meeting, the State Department said Rubio thanked Qatar for its cooperation and partnership on multiple regional matters.

“The Secretary and the Foreign Minister also discussed US support for Qatar’s defense, and the importance of continued close coordination to deter threats and promote stability and security across the Middle East.”

The State Department’s announcement came shortly after an Axios report revealed that Rubio and White House envoy Steve Witkoff met with the Qatari premier in Miami as negotiations continue over a possible framework to end the conflict with Iran.

Axios, citing two sources familiar with the talks, reported that Qatar has emerged as a major intermediary between Washington and Tehran as both sides negotiate over a one-page memorandum intended to halt the fighting and open the door to more comprehensive negotiations.

As of Saturday afternoon, according to Axios, American officials were still waiting for Iran’s latest reply to the proposal.

The report added that although Pakistan has officially served as the mediator between the United States and Iran since the war began, Qatari officials have been heavily involved behind the scenes. U.S. officials reportedly view Doha as particularly effective in communicating with Iranian leaders.

Sources familiar with the discussions said Saturday’s meeting centered largely on efforts to finalize a memorandum of understanding that could formally end the war.

One source told Axios that Qatar, Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia are all coordinating diplomatic pressure in support of an agreement, saying, “The mediators are urging both parties to de-escalate and focus on getting a deal.”

Rubio said Friday that Washington was expecting a response from Tehran regarding the proposed negotiations and warned that any Iranian effort to interfere with shipping through a major international waterway would be considered “unacceptable.”

Later Friday, President Donald Trump told reporters that the administration was still awaiting Iran’s answer to the American proposal aimed at ending the war.

When asked whether he believed Iran was deliberately dragging out the process, Trump responded, “We’ll find out soon enough.”

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran was still reviewing the American proposal and would announce its official position once internal deliberations were complete. He added that Iran would not allow outside deadlines or ultimatums to influence its decision-making process.

{Matzav.com}