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US Vice President JD Vance, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani in Switzerland on June 21, 2026. © Nathan Howard, AFP
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani reaffirmed his country’s role as a mediator in US – Iran negotiations during talks with US envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential adviser Jared Kushner on Tuesday, as Doha said it remained committed to supporting efforts to implement the memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the Middle East war. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.
Oil rises on concerns over US – Iran talks and supply disruptions
Oil prices rose on Wednesday on concerns that setbacks in discussions between Iran and the US over a final agreement to end their war may prolong supply disruptions in the key Middle East producing region.
Brent futures rose 33 cents, or 0.45%, to $73.28 a barrel at 0339 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude climbed 34 cents, or 0.49%, to $69.84 a barrel.
“Hormuz continues to reopen but it’s patchy, unpredictable, and not fully transparent… Unless there is a fresh understanding between Washington and Tehran, the market may wait and watch for sustained peace and quiet before crude resumes bearish momentum,” said Vandana Hari, founder of oil market analysis provider Vanda Insights.
Pakistan says it intercepted four drones from Afghanistan
Pakistan’s military said on Wednesday it had intercepted four drones sent from Afghanistan the previous day, the latest incident in months of conflict between the two neighbours.
The Taliban government had vowed a response to deadly Pakistani air strikes on eastern Afghanistan this week, and the Afghan defence ministry said in a statement overnight it had carried out aerial operations targeting militants in Pakistani border provinces.
Pakistan’s military said Afghan Taliban forces on Tuesday had “launched four rudimentary drones across the border in Balochistan… the hostile aerial platforms were immediately picked up by Pakistan’s robust air defence network”.
“If the Afghan Taliban continue to provoke Pakistan, they would receive a befitting response which would cost them heavily,” it added.
Qatar reaffirms backing for US – Iran talks
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani affirmed his country’s continued mediation efforts and its support for all tracks of talks stemming from the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.
Sheikh Mohammed’s remarks came in a meeting with US envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, where they discussed developments in ongoing US – Iran talks.
Welcome to the France 24 liveblog covering events in the Middle East. You can catch up on yesterday’s developments here.
• Iran‘s chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that Iran was pursuing dialogue with the United States, but remained ready for war if the “dialogue is not implemented”.
• US envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner met Qatari mediators in Doha on Tuesday for discussions on negotiations with Iran.
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited troops in southern Lebanon, vowing that his country’s forces would stay in the area as long as Iran-backed Hezbollah remained a “threat”.
(FRANCE 24 with Reuters, AP and AFP)
