Qatar pushes for U.S.-Iran deal under shadow of Trump's threats

Qatari mediators traveled to Tehran on Friday carrying revised language for a draft agreement meant to end the war with Iran, which has now run more than eight months. A source familiar with the diplomacy told CBS News there were signs of progress, and an Iranian answer is expected by the weekend. The effort aims to head off renewed American strikes, which President Donald Trump has threatened repeatedly in recent weeks. Speaking to a Kansas City radio station, Trump predicted the conflict would be over soon and said he wants a guarantee against an Iranian nuclear weapon.

Tensions around the Strait of Hormuz complicate the talks. Adm. Brad Cooper, who leads Central Command, said Iran's navy has been destroyed, that the southern shipping lanes are free of mines, and that the American blockade has stopped Iranian oil exports through the waterway. Yet Iran's armed forces said at least four vessels were disabled by mines on that route, and its Revolutionary Guard said it halted two tankers. A British maritime monitor reported a tanker hit by a projectile.

Tehran wants the blockade and oil sanctions lifted first and will not shift on nuclear matters.

Summarized by PolitiKool from CBS News’s reporting. Read the full story at CBS News →