Middle East live: Qatar reaffirms backing for US – Iran talks

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Middle East

Issued on: 01/07/2026 - 04:46Modified: 01/07/2026 - 05:55

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Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani reaffirmed his country's role as a mediator in US – Iran negotiations during talks with US envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential adviser Jared Kushner on Tuesday, as Doha said it remained committed to supporting efforts to implement the memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the Middle East war. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.

Yesterday's key developments:

• Iran's chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that Iran was pursuing dialogue with the United States, but remained ready for war if the “dialogue is not implemented”.

• US envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner met Qatari mediators in Doha on Tuesday for discussions on negotiations with Iran.

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited troops in southern Lebanon, vowing that his country's forces would stay in the area as long as Iran-backed Hezbollah remained a "threat".

(FRANCE 24 with Reuters, AP and AFP)

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