Qatar PM to visit Tehran as Iran-US tensions persist over Hormuz Strait

Qatar has maintained close ties with both sides. Qatar's prime minister is due to travel to Tehran on Thursday as Doha seeks to restart diplomatic efforts between Iran and the United States, amid rising tensions over Washington's decision to increase economic pressure on Tehran.Qatar has maintained close ties with both sides. The Gulf state is a US ally but also neighbours Iran, and has previously acted as a channel for communication between the two countries. Doha also played a key role in helping secure a ceasefire in June, which brought a temporary halt to the fighting.The latest visit comes as the conflict approaches its sixth month. Although major fighting has largely stopped, the two sides have yet to make progress towards a lasting diplomatic settlement.One of the biggest unresolved issues is the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman through which a major share of the world's oil supplies normally passes. Tehran has used control over the strategic route as a source of leverage in negotiations.An earlier memorandum of understanding fell apart partly because of disagreements over how the waterway would be controlled. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on We...