Doha:Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani held separate discussions with US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, reportedly making 'good progress' on issues concerning Iran. These talks were reported by the Qatari-based Al Jazeera channel, citing a source familiar with the matter.

According to Anadolu Agency, an informed diplomatic source stated that the discussions were positive, with a focus on advancing negotiations with Iran. The talks aimed to narrow differences between Washington and Tehran and to move the negotiations forward, though no specific agreements were reported to have been reached.

President Trump characterized his conversation with Sheikh Mohammed as 'excellent' and mentioned that Iran was a significant topic of discussion. He expressed optimism about the emerging positive momentum towards ending the conflict.

Trump further noted that Qatar, along with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, and other countries, supported maintaining the US naval blockade on Iran. He emphasized that preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon is a 'non-negotiable' stance.

In a related development, an unnamed Iranian official refuted claims of negotiations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the release of $8 billion in frozen Iranian assets. The official stated that Tehran would engage only if seven specific conditions were met, including lifting the naval blockade and unilateral sanctions, ensuring safe passage through the strait, releasing frozen assets, and ending the war.

The US and Israel had launched attacks on Iran on February 28, leading to a ceasefire in April. However, fighting between the US and Iran resumed in July as diplomatic efforts faced challenges.