Qatari prime minister says there’s “high probability” U.S., Iran will reach deal

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani arrived Friday morning in Washington, D.C., where he is meeting with Vice President JD Vance to discuss topics including the Iran war. A day earlier, the prime minister told news outlet al-Araby al-Jadeed there is a “high probability” that the U.S. and Iran will reach a deal. 

Speaking Friday morning in Italy, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. expects to receive Iran’s response to the draft agreement for ending the war “today at some point.”

“We’re expecting a response from (Iran) — we’ll see what the response entails,” Rubio told reporters. He added that the hope is that it’s something that “can put us into a serious process of negotiation.”

The prime minister, who also serves as the minister of foreign affairs, is the emirate’s top diplomat. He has been a conduit for the U.S. on some of the thornier issues involving Gaza, Afghanistan and Iran. Qatar is also the base for U.S. Central Command.

Al-Thani’s optimistic remarks came hours before the U.S. “self-defense strikes” and Mr. Trump’s comment that a deal “might not happen, but it could happen any day.” 

Overnight the UAE said it shot down two ballistic missiles and three drones from Iran. Earlier Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi posted on social media that “every time a diplomatic solution is on the table, the U.S. opts for a reckless military adventure.”

Pakistan has served as the convening country for the diplomatic talks to date, but many countries are involved in efforts to end the war. Yesterday in Beijing, GOP Sen. Steve Daines of Montana thanked Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi for meeting with Iran’s top diplomat and the PRC’s work to “de-escalate tensions” and bring peace to the Middle East. Daines did not mention that China remains a top trading partner and purchaser of Iranian oil.