Trump meets key Iran war mediator as UAE reveals major oil export surge despite conflict
President Donald Trump met Qatar's prime minister at the White House Monday as diplomatic efforts continue to end the war with Iran, even as Secretary of State Marco Rubio warns negotiations remain far from a breakthrough.
The meeting comes as the Strait of Hormuz remains a major source of global economic disruption, with regional governments pushing for a diplomatic solution to a conflict that has subjected Gulf countries to thousands of Iranian missile and drone attacks. Rubio emphasized that Trump prefers a diplomatic settlement but described Iran's demands as unrealistic.
I wouldn't say we're on the verge of a breakthrough.
Diplomatic efforts continue
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that Tehran was prepared to negotiate an end to the prolonged state of neither war nor peace, insisting Iran would not surrender to coercion. Meanwhile, Trump signaled he was not seeking another escalation, maintaining that the Strait of Hormuz was open.
Mediators have discussed a two-day proposal under which the United States would lift its naval blockade and release some frozen Iranian funds, with Tehran taking steps toward renewed nuclear inspections and reopening the Strait of Hormuz before broader negotiations resume.
Strait of Hormuz remains volatile
The narrow shipping corridor connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, through which one-fifth of global petroleum liquids consumption and more than one-fifth of global liquefied natural gas trade passed before the war, has seen continued attacks on commercial vessels despite the American naval presence.
Former senior adviser to President Joe Biden, Amos Hochstein, challenged claims that the strait had effectively reopened, noting that nightly conflicts and attacks on tankers continued.
If you need a heavy U.S. military presence just to let an oil tanker go through, to me that's the definition of not open.
UAE increases oil exports
The UAE has substantially increased its oil exports since the war began, leveraging alternative routes including its pipeline to Fujairah on the Gulf of Oman, outside the strait. Before the conflict, the country exported 3.1-3.2 million barrels daily; now it exports almost 4.4 million.
Dr. Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, chairman of the UAE Federal National Council's Defense, Interior and Foreign Affairs Committee, emphasized that the country doesn't wait to make itself hostage to others while advocating for the strait to be open according to international law.
Global energy markets affected
The disruption has exposed vulnerabilities in global energy markets, with increased shipping costs and supply disruptions affecting consumers far beyond the Middle East. Dr. Angela Wilkinson, CEO of the World Energy Council, argued that markets must rebalance to address energy security, affordability and sustainability simultaneously.
Mohammed Baharoon, director general of the Emirati research center B'huth, described the confrontation as Iran's war on the global economy, affecting people in countries like the Philippines, India, and Brazil that have no direct involvement in the conflict.
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