Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in Tehran on Thursday to propose a phased framework aimed at easing tensions in the Persian Gulf. The proposal includes establishing a joint temporary maritime corridor between Iran and Oman through the Strait of Hormuz and executing a joint mine-clearing project in the waterway, according to officials briefed on the discussions.
The outreach comes as the U.S. intensifies economic pressure on Iran under its ‘Operation Economic Outcast,’ following the earlier ‘Operation Epic Fury’ military campaign. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated on Thursday that no negotiations are currently underway with Tehran, adding that the administration will maintain its stance until Iran signals a willingness to engage meaningfully. ‘We had Operation Epic Fury to destroy their armed forces. Now we have Operation Economic Outcast to destroy their economy,’ Leavitt said, emphasizing that Washington has yet to observe such engagement.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf described the current U.S. measures as a ‘total economic war,’ warning that internal divisions play into adversarial objectives. Head of the National Security Commission of the Iranian Parliament Ebrahim Azizi characterized recent U.S. sanctions as an ‘inhuman and hostile act,’ asserting they have already lost their intended impact. An unnamed Iranian authority similarly framed the latest sanctions as part of a broader ‘total economic war.’
The Strait of Hormuz remains a critical flashpoint, with the International Maritime Organization recording 70 incidents since hostilities began on February 28, resulting in 19 seafarer deaths. Before the conflict, one-fifth of the world’s oil supply transited the strait. Iran has maintained control of the waterway, leveraging it both as a strategic chokepoint and a revenue source by charging commissions to passing vessels. Tehran has linked any reopening of the strait to conditions agreed upon during a provisional June ceasefire, including the lifting of U.S. port blockades, payment of compensation, and the removal of sanctions.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard has reported reaching an agreement with Oman on revenue-sharing for the strait, though a senior Iranian source noted details are still being finalized. The deadlock follows a failed June memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran to end the conflict, which briefly interrupted hostilities after months of clashes that have killed thousands, primarily in Iran and Lebanon.
