Qatar says mediation between the United States and Iran is still underway, pushing back against reports that negotiations have collapsed even as new American strikes on Qeshm island drew fresh attention to the Strait of Hormuz.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al Ansari warned that promoting claims of failure serves only those who want to prolong the war and unsettle the region. Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told an Oxford University audience that for recent weeks Qatari mediators have worked with United States officials who show genuine intent to contain and de escalate the crisis, which he said cannot be left unresolved.

President Trump separately told reporters in Florida that American forces had carried out what he called minor strikes on Iranian air defences, describing a quick hit on an anti aircraft system. Iranian state media reported explosions in the Suza area of Qeshm and said air defences downed an American MQ 9 drone. United States Central Command described the wider situation as relatively calm while offering a large reward for information on Iran’s nuclear programme.

Trump also claimed substantial progress in talks with Tehran. Qatari officials’ public message is that diplomacy has not died with the latest kinetic incidents. That stance matches Doha’s longer role as a go between since the war began, including efforts linking nuclear inspections, Hormuz access and sanctions relief.

The contrast between strike announcements and mediation soundbites leaves regional shipping and energy markets reading mixed signals. A waterway that carries a large share of seaborne oil remains politically fragile whenever explosions are reported on nearby islands.

For now Qatar is trying to keep negotiating channels open in public as well as in private, arguing that talk of collapsed talks can become self fulfilling. Whether Washington and Tehran use that space after the midterms will determine if the next weeks bring a ceasefire framework or another cycle of limited blows and rebuttals.