World

Trump to Host Qatar PM in Oval Office Amid US‑Iran Negotiation Push

By Navya Beri

President Donald Trump will meet Qatar’s Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, on Monday in the Oval Office as Doha intensifies diplomatic efforts to advance negotiations between Washington and Tehran. Qatar, a key mediator in the US‑Iran talks, is pushing new proposals aimed at easing tensions and finding a diplomatic path toward resolving the conflict, according to the Associated Press. In related remarks, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended Trump’s decision to launch a war against Iran, saying the move was aimed at protecting the world from Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, even if it was not “necessarily popular.” Rubio said, “He addressed it even though oftentimes the right thing to do for the country—confronting difficult challenges for the security of our country—doing it isn’t necessarily popular, but necessary,” before heading to a Group of 7 foreign ministers meeting in Paris. Trump also suggested that Americans’ unfavorable views of Israel contributed to Republicans’ poor performance in last week’s midterm elections. In a 60 Minutes interview, he said, “Number one, I was not on the ballot,” adding that voters disliked some Republican candidates, the war, rising gasoline prices, and expressed a strong dislike for Israel, without elaborating further.