Qatar says US-Iran mediation continues after midterm elections

Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said on November 7 that his country's mediation between the US and Iran was continuing, in remarks carried by Al Jazeera TV, Reuters reported. He said the effort was aimed at preventing the situation in the region from spiraling out of control.

Al-Thani said the US administration remained willing to find a solution even after the midterm elections, indicating Washington's interest in reaching an agreement had not changed. He said significant progress had been made and expressed confidence that a settlement could be reached. "We cannot wait to reach a perfect agreement; we hope to reach a good agreement," he said.

Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency said on November 7 that initial reports indicated two missiles had struck Qeshm Island, adding there was no official information on possible damage. The US has not announced any attack on targets inside Iran, Reuters reported.

Countries in the region had been anticipating that US President Donald Trump, who held off on strikes on Iran during the weeks leading up to the midterm elections, could restart attacks once voting was over. Iran has repeatedly said it would respond to new attacks by striking at US and Israeli targets in neighboring countries.

Iran has been proposing a seven-day plan since September, so far rejected by Trump. It calls for Washington to lift a blockade of Iranian ports, unfreeze assets and approve an Iranian-backed route through the Strait of Hormuz, after which the contested waterway would be reopened.