President Donald Trump is set to meet Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Monday, Nov. 9, to discuss a new ceasefire and a restart of nuclear talks with Iran, even as Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the two sides are not close to a deal.
Why it matters: The war with Iran is more than eight months old, and oil prices have stayed high. Brent crude was down 0.75% at $97.58 a barrel early Monday, CNBC reported. Trump has told CNN renewed strikes are "highly unlikely" if talks progress toward a strong agreement.
What's on the table
Qatar and other mediators have been discussing a two-day plan with Iran and the White House, Axios reported. On the first day, the U.S. would lift its blockade and release some frozen Iranian funds, and Iran would invite International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors under the Cairo agreement. On the second day, the Strait of Hormuz would reopen and nuclear talks would resume.
Al Thani is to meet Vice President JD Vance first, Axios said; Vance has spoken with him almost daily for two weeks. The midterm elections slowed the talks, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X: "American voters have made their choice. Time for the White House to make its own."
What Trump and Rubio said
In a "60 Minutes" interview that aired Sunday, Trump said he wasn't looking to escalate the war. "I don't think there's any reason to," he said.
Rubio, speaking before a G7 foreign ministers' meeting in Paris, said: "I wouldn't say we're on the verge of a breakthrough." He said Iran's demands are "not just unacceptable but, in some cases, outrageous and ridiculous and really not realistic."
Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran wants U.S. sanctions lifted and the war ended on all fronts before negotiations begin, CNBC reported.
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