Qatari mediators press peace deal between US, Iran

WASHINGTON/CAIRO — Qatar said on Tuesday it hopes that shuttle diplomacy between Iran and the UScan lead to a breakthrough despite U.S. President Donald Trump's denial of media reports that he was willing to ease sanctions and release frozen funds in exchange for Iranian concessions on its nuclear program. "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. The U.S. and Iran have failed to find an off-ramp from their war, now in its eighth month. Negotiations appeared to intensify during last week's U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York, but have so far not yielded any agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Doha once again has emerged as would-be peacemaker after previously playing a supporting role in producing the June memorandum of understanding that led to a brief ceasefire. U.S. and Iranian officials spoke separately with Qatari mediators on Monday. It was uncl