US President Donald Trump met Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, at the White House on Monday as efforts to end the war with Iran continued. The meeting came amid growing pressure for a diplomatic deal, but senior US officials said major differences with Tehran remain.
The talks took place as the Strait of Hormuz continued to face serious security risks. The waterway is vital to global energy supplies. Attacks on ships, military activity and restrictions on commercial traffic have disrupted one of the world’s most important oil routes.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday that negotiations were not close to a major breakthrough. He made the remarks before leaving for a G7 foreign ministers meeting in Paris.
“I wouldn’t say we’re on the verge of a breakthrough,” Rubio told reporters.
He said Trump preferred a diplomatic solution but rejected the terms Iran had presented. His comments showed that Washington remained cautious despite ongoing mediation efforts.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian offered a different message on Monday. He said Tehran was ready to negotiate an end to the uncertain situation between war and peace.
“We can negotiate with dignity and resolve the issue with dignity. We favor dialogue and negotiations,” Pezeshkian said, according to a statement reported by Anadolu Agency.
He also said Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei had instructed officials to end the uncertainty. However, Pezeshkian stressed that Iran would not accept pressure or surrender to demands.
Trump has also signalled that he does not want another escalation. In an interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes on Sunday, he said he saw no reason to intensify the war. He also maintained that the Strait of Hormuz was open.
However, the situation at sea remains a major concern for regional governments and international businesses.
Mediators have discussed a possible two-day plan to reduce tensions. Under the reported proposal, the United States would lift its naval blockade and release some frozen Iranian funds. Iran would then take steps towards renewed nuclear inspections and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Broader negotiations would follow once these initial steps were completed. The proposal has not been accepted by Washington, and major disagreements remain over its terms.
The Strait of Hormuz is central to the dispute because of its role in global energy trade. Before the war, around one-fifth of global petroleum liquids consumption and more than one-fifth of liquefied natural gas trade passed through the route, according to the US Energy Information Administration.
Since the conflict began, Iranian attacks, shipping restrictions and US military operations have reduced commercial traffic. Tanker attacks in the Gulf and around the strait increased sharply in October and continued into November, Reuters reported.
Iranian authorities also claimed that a tanker struck a mine east of the waterway on Sunday.
Amos Hochstein, a former senior adviser to President Joe Biden and now managing partner at TWG Global, said the strait could not be considered fully open while ships still faced attacks and needed heavy military protection.
“There has been a hot conflict in the Strait of Hormuz on almost a nightly basis. Tankers are getting fired on, tankers are getting hit,” Hochstein said during an interview at the ADIPEC energy conference in Abu Dhabi.
He argued that the need for a large US military presence to protect oil tankers showed that normal shipping conditions had not returned. Higher insurance costs and the threat of further attacks continue to affect the energy market.
US Central Command has offered a more positive account of shipping activity. In late October, its commander, Adm. Brad Cooper, said US forces had cleared key shipping routes of Iranian mines and helped commercial vessels pass through the area.
CENTCOM said more than 3,000 commercial vessels had crossed the Strait of Hormuz with US military support over the previous six months. However, the continued need for escorts remains a concern for shipping companies.
Hochstein suggested that Gulf countries could take a larger role in talks about maritime security. He said the United States could focus on Iran’s nuclear programme while regional partners handled discussions about safe navigation.
Energy security has also become a major issue. Dr. Angela Wilkinson, chief executive of the World Energy Council, said the crisis showed that global energy systems needed greater resilience. She argued that countries should balance energy security, affordability and sustainability.
The UAE has already taken steps to reduce its reliance on the Strait of Hormuz. Its pipeline from Abu Dhabi to Fujairah allows crude oil to reach the Gulf of Oman without passing through the narrow waterway.
UAE official Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi said the country had increased exports despite the conflict. He said shipments had risen from around 3.1 million to 3.2 million barrels per day before the war to nearly 4.4 million barrels per day.
Energy Minister Suhail Al Mazrouei also said exports had sometimes exceeded prewar levels. The UAE is investing in alternative routes, storage and shipping facilities to limit future disruptions.
The White House meeting with Qatar’s prime minister comes as regional governments seek a way to reduce tensions. Yet the gap between US and Iranian demands remains wide. The future of the Strait of Hormuz, nuclear inspections and regional security will remain central to any possible agreement.
