Qatar’s prime minister is due to travel to Tehran on Thursday as Doha seeks to restart diplomatic efforts between Iran and the United States, amid rising tensions over Washington’s decision to increase economic pressure on Tehran.Qatar has maintained close ties with both sides. The Gulf state is a US ally but also neighbours Iran, and has previously acted as a channel for communication between the two countries. Doha also played a key role in helping secure a ceasefire in June, which brought a temporary halt to the fighting.The latest visit comes as the conflict approaches its sixth month. Although major fighting has largely stopped, the two sides have yet to make progress towards a lasting diplomatic settlement.One of the biggest unresolved issues is the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman through which a major share of the world’s oil supplies normally passes. Tehran has used control over the strategic route as a source of leverage in negotiations.An earlier memorandum of understanding fell apart partly because of disagreements over how the waterway would be controlled. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Wednesday that Tehran and Oman had agreed on arrangements for sharing the waterway and its revenues. However, a senior Iranian source later said the two countries were still working out the details.Meanwhile, Washington is shifting greater attention towards economic measures against Iran. The US has announced plans to put more pressure on Tehran by targeting countries and companies that continue to trade with Iran.The change comes after a prolonged period in which military action has largely subsided. The US military’s Central Command has not reported an attack on Iran for nearly a month.Despite heavy aerial bombardment earlier in the war, which significantly weakened Iran’s conventional military forces, Tehran still has missiles and drones capable of striking Gulf states that host US military bases. Iran also retains the ability to disrupt commercial shipping and oil tankers travelling through the Strait of Hormuz.Oil traffic through the strait has already fallen sharply. Ship-tracking data showed that only about 5 million barrels of oil per day passed through the waterway on Monday, the lowest level in three months. Before the war began on February 28, the route carried roughly 20 million barrels of crude oil each day.The disruption has also come at a significant human cost. The UN’s International Maritime Organization has recorded 70 incidents in the Strait of Hormuz since February 28, resulting in the deaths of 19 seafarers.With fighting largely paused but key disagreements unresolved, Qatar’s latest diplomatic effort comes at a critical time. The visit is aimed at reopening dialogue while tensions over sanctions, trade and the future of the Strait of Hormuz continue to complicate any broader agreement.
