Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House envoy Steve Witkoff met on Saturday in Miami with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani as part of the efforts to reach a deal to end the war in Iran, according to two sources with knowledge.
Why it matters: The U.S. and Iran are negotiating over a one-page memo to end the war and establish a framework for more detailed negotiations. The Qataris are playing a key role in mediating between the sides.
- As of early afternoon on Saturday, the U.S. was still awaiting Iran's latest response.
Between the lines: While Pakistan has been the official mediator between the U.S. and Iran since the beginning of the war, the Qataris have been working behind the scenes.
- The White House views them as especially effective in negotiations with Iran, U.S. officials say.
- Al-Thani met Vice President Vance yesterday in Washington. He was supposed to return to Doha immediately, but changed his plan and went to Miami, one of the sources said.
- While in Miami, he called the Saudi foreign minister to discuss the mediation effort, the source said.
- The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
What's next: The sources said the meeting focused on the path to achieving a memorandum of understanding to end the war.
- One of the sources said Qatar, Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey and Saudi Arabia are working in tandem to push for an agreement. "The mediators are urging both parties to de-escalate and focus on getting a deal."
