U.S. Officials Meet Qatari Mediator in Miami on Iran Deal; Trump Announces Ukraine Ceasefire

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House envoy Steve Witkoff met on Saturday in Miami with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani as part of efforts to reach a deal to end the war in Iran. The U.S. and Iran are negotiating over a one-page memo to end the war and establish a framework for more detailed negotiations, with the Qataris playing a key role in mediating between the sides.

As of early afternoon on Saturday, the U.S. was still awaiting Iran's latest response to the proposal. While Pakistan has been the official mediator between the U.S. and Iran since the beginning of the war, the Qataris have been working behind the scenes and are viewed by the White House as especially effective.

Al-Thani met Vice President Vance on Friday in Washington before changing his plans to travel to Miami. While there, he called the Saudi foreign minister to discuss the mediation effort. The meeting focused on the path to achieving a memorandum of understanding to end the war.

Qatar, Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey and Saudi Arabia are working in tandem to push for an agreement, one source said. The mediators are urging both parties to de-escalate and focus on getting a deal.

Reports of a potential agreement between the U.S. and Iran raised hopes after days of escalation, prompting oil prices to drop and stock markets to rise. The 14-point memo now under negotiation would see the U.S. lift sanctions, free billions in frozen assets, and open a path to uranium enrichment if accepted.

Senior officials on both sides, including Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, are involved in the talks. The war in Iran and the resulting closure of the Strait of Hormuz have sent the global energy market into a frenzy, leading to higher prices for Americans at the pump.

Major oil and gas CEOs warned that the global energy system will change significantly due to the conflict. The UK is deploying the warship HMS Dragon to pre-position in the region for a multinational effort to secure shipping in the Strait of Hormuz when conditions allow.

A fragile ceasefire remains in place in the region, although attacks on Friday saw U.S. forces hit two Iranian tankers trying to breach the blockade. Iranian ports were struck this week after the regime fired on three U.S. destroyers. Trump described the strikes on Iran as “just a love tap" and maintained the ceasefire was holding.

Trump said the leaders of Russia and Ukraine have agreed to his request for a three-day ceasefire and an exchange of 1,000 prisoners by each country. The ceasefire is set to run from May 9 through May 11, coinciding with Russia’s Victory Day holiday.

Trump described the halt to hostilities as potentially the “beginning of the end” of the war that began in February 2022. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the agreement, saying Ukraine’s decision was shaped by the prospect of freeing its prisoners of war, which has been a central demand.

Zelenskyy issued a formal presidential decree authorizing Russia to hold its Victory Day parade on Red Square and declaring it off-limits for Ukrainian strikes. ” Zelenskyy said the deal was reached through a U.S.-mediated process and thanked Trump and the American team.

He said Ukraine expected Washington to hold Russia to the terms. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the three-day ceasefire and prisoner exchange.

“I asked and, President Putin agreed. President Zelenskyy agreed — both readily. And we have a little period of time where they’re not going to be killing people. That’s very good.”

Hours after Trump’s announcement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio struck a more somber tone about negotiations to halt Russia’s war in Ukraine, saying U.S. mediation efforts have not led to a “fruitful outcome” so far. Rubio told reporters that while the U.S. stands ready to help, those efforts have stagnated.

U.S. sanctions targeted foreign entities accused of sharing satellite imagery and access to arms to support Iran’s war effort. In Damascus, the Lebanese prime minister and Syrian president discussed issues including security, transport and energy. Separate incidents, including Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon and a charged incident in London, underscored ongoing tensions in the wider region.

The mediators’ push for de-escalation comes as the U.S. continues to await Iran’s formal response to the proposed framework. Trump has urged Iran to agree to peace terms while warning of stronger action if it refuses.