Rubio, Witkoff meet Qatari PM in Miami on Iran deal
SkimNews Take
The meeting's location in Miami, rather than a traditional diplomatic hub, signals an attempt to leverage less formal environments for sensitive, high-stakes negotiations.
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- Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff met Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani in Miami on Saturday to negotiate a one-page memo to end the war in Iran and establish a framework for more detailed talks, according to two sources with knowledge.
- The U.S. was still awaiting Iran's latest response to the proposed memo as of early Saturday afternoon.
- Qatar has been working behind the scenes as a mediator even though Pakistan holds the official mediator role, with U.S. officials saying the White House views the Qataris as especially effective in negotiations with Iran.
- Al-Thani met Vice President Vance in Washington the day before but changed his plans to fly to Miami rather than return directly to Doha, and called the Saudi foreign minister from Miami to coordinate the mediation effort.
- Qatar, Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia are working in tandem to push for an agreement, with the mediators urging both parties to de-escalate and focus on getting a deal.
Why it matters: The Trump administration is routing negotiations through Qatar's behind-the-scenes channels rather than the official Pakistani mediator, which the White House views as more effective. Five regional powers are now coordinating to pressure both sides toward a deal, though the U.S. was still waiting on Iran's response as of Saturday afternoon.
