Iran War News LIVE Updates: Qatar PM to visit Tehran to ‘revive mediation’; Trump ‘not in hurry’ over talks

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani is set to visit Tehran on Thursday in an effort to revive diplomatic mediation between Iran and the United States. The two nations remain at odds over control of the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route important to global oil trade. However, the White House insists that there are no ongoing or scheduled talks with Iran.

US President Donald Trump, during an interview with Al Jazeera, stated that both economic warfare and military strikes are effective against Iran, expressing that he is not in a rush for negotiations, as he has no predetermined timetable. Iran's Revolutionary Guard claimed that Iran and Oman had reached an agreement on managing the strait and sharing its revenues, but a senior Iranian source later revealed that the deal had not been finalized and talks were ongoing.

The US Treasury Department announced a campaign to tighten sanctions against Iran, threatening economic consequences for countries that refuse to cut ties with Iran. This week, Trump also claimed that the financial strength of the United States will lead the country to a "very big victory" over Iran, despite the ongoing war. In a separate development, a senior Iranian source denied that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, is dead, stating that he was seriously wounded but did not confirm his survival.

President Trump maintains that Khamenei is not dead and suggested there might be a façade of life being maintained by Iranian officials. Iran has executed at least 511 people in 2026, including those linked to anti-government protests and political prisoners, according to Norway-based rights group Iran Human Rights. The executions have intensified amid the war involving Iran, the United States, and Israel, which began on February 28.

Oil prices rose in response to the ongoing Iran war and uncertainty over US-Iranian diplomacy, with Brent crude futures increasing by $1.16 to $89 a barrel.