In Doha, Trump Calls on Qatar to Mediate with Iran Over Nuclear Program
“I hope you can help me with the Iran situation,” Trump said. “It’s a perilous situation, and we want to do the right thing.”
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — U.S. President Donald Trump, on Wednesday, called on Qatar to use its regional influence to help persuade Iran to reach a diplomatic agreement aimed at curbing its advancing nuclear program, according to the Associated Press (AP).
Speaking during a formal state dinner in Doha hosted by Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, President Trump described the situation with Iran as dangerous and warned of the risks of escalation.
“I hope you can help me with the Iran situation,” Trump said. “It’s a perilous situation, and we want to do the right thing.”
The appeal came as part of Trump's three-nation Middle East tour, which included a stop in Saudi Arabia earlier in the day, where he addressed leaders at the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit in Riyadh. At the summit, he expressed willingness to negotiate with Iran but stressed that any deal must be contingent on Tehran ending its support for militant proxy groups across the region.
“We want to make a deal,” Trump said in Riyadh. “But Iran must stop sponsoring terror, halt its bloody proxy wars, and permanently and verifiably cease pursuit of nuclear weapons.”
The issue remains at the center of renewed international concern. The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear deal, which was brokered during the Obama administration and saw Iran agree to strict limits on uranium enrichment, was unilaterally abandoned during Trump’s first term. Since then, Iran has escalated its nuclear activity and is now enriching uranium up to 60% purity—just short of weapons-grade levels—and holds enough material for multiple nuclear warheads if it chooses to build them.
Qatar, which has historically served as a key interlocutor between the U.S. and Iran—including in backchannel communications and mediation involving groups like Hamas—has signaled support for a diplomatic solution.
In an interview with Fox News Channel on Wednesday, Emir Al Thani reiterated Qatar’s commitment to regional stability, stating, “We agree that we want a nuclear-free region, and we cannot afford a nuclear race in that region.”
However, the emir added, “Iran has its right to have a nuclear — a civilian nuclear power, while not also representing any challenge or any threat for anyone in the region.” He emphasized that the matter “needs to be resolved diplomatically.”
Since early last month, the U.S. and Iran have engaged in four rounds of indirect negotiations concerning Tehran’s nuclear program. President Trump has expressed hope for a new agreement but warned that the window for diplomacy is narrowing.
At the state dinner in Doha, he urged Iranian leaders to act quickly.
“They need to get moving,” Trump warned. “Because things like that get started and they get out of control. I’ve seen it over and over again. They go to war, and things get out of control, and we’re not going to let that happen.”
Trump has also renewed calls for Iran to end its support for proxy groups such as Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen. These groups, he said, have suffered heavy losses since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which triggered a prolonged regional conflict now in its 19th month.
“I believe the moment is ripe for a future free from the grip of Hezbollah terrorists,” Trump said, referring to the group’s weakened position following its war with Israel and the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad, a key Iranian ally and conduit for arms.
In response, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi labeled Trump’s remarks “deceitful” but did not directly address the American president’s demands.
As Trump continues his regional tour, his administration is intensifying efforts to reassert U.S. leadership in shaping the Middle East’s security future, with Qatar potentially playing a pivotal diplomatic role in avoiding a broader confrontation.
