Iran-US war latest: Trump says decision coming very soon on whether to ‘blow up’ Tehran

US and Iranian officials spoke separately with Qatari mediators this week, as Qatar continued its efforts to end the seven-month war between the two countries. "We are exchanging messages between the parties, and we're working towards establishing a common ground in order to get into a deal that would save all of us from the repercussions of the conflict," Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari told reporters.

Qatar has again emerged as a would-be peacemaker, having previously played a supporting role in producing a June memorandum of understanding that led to a brief ceasefire. Negotiations appeared to intensify during last week's UN General Assembly meeting in New York, but have so far not yielded any agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 per cent of global oil and liquefied natural gas passed before the war started in February.