Qatar, Pakistan Mediate as Trump Weighs 'Wiping Iran Out' — SkimNews
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- Pezeshkian met Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi in Tehran on Monday, the sixth such visit since the US-Israel war on Iran began in February, with Naqvi saying bilateral ties 'have never been at such a high level.'
- The meeting came a day after Tehran said it received intelligence the US was planning new attacks on the country.
- Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said Doha is coordinating with Pakistan to mediate between Tehran and Washington, aiming to facilitate 'even a short-term' agreement.
- Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stopped in Doha en route to New York for the 81st UN General Assembly, where both he and Pezeshkian are expected to hold bilateral talks; the US granted visas to the two leaders but imposed travel and purchasing restrictions on the rest of the delegation.
- Trump told Fox News on Sunday he's weighing options including 'wiping Iran out, letting them rot economically or making a deal,' adding he'd 'probably' be open to meeting his Iranian counterpart.
- Iran's security chief Mohsen Rezaei told Al Jazeera Tehran has presented the Trump administration with new conditions to restart talks after a June 17 memorandum of understanding failed to end the war or reopen the Strait of Hormuz, where the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported attacks on two tankers Monday.
Why it matters: The diplomatic push runs alongside contradictory signals: Tehran reported intelligence of planned US attacks the day before hosting Naqvi, while Iran's security chief simultaneously said new conditions for talks await Washington's response. Trump's 'wiping Iran out' comment paired with openness to meeting Pezeshkian creates parallel escalation and de-escalation tracks, with Qatar and Pakistan now the only stated intermediaries.
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