Qatar's PM visits Tehran to revive mediation efforts

Qatar's prime minister visits Tehran on Thursday to revive diplomacy amid US-Iran threats over new sanctions targeting Iran's trade partners. Qatar, a US ally and Iran's Gulf neighbor, has served as an informal mediator and helped broker a June ceasefire that briefly halted fighting. The visit comes as the war nears six months with combat largely paused but no diplomatic breakthrough. Disputes persist over control of the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20 million barrels of oil passed daily before the war began February 28. Flows have since dropped to five million barrels, with 70 incidents reported.