Scoop: Rubio and Witkoff meet Qatari mediator in Miami on Iran deal

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 the efforts to reach a deal to end the war in Iran, according to two sources with knowledge.

Why it matters: The U.S. and Iran are negotiating over a one-page memo to end the war and establish a framework for more detailed negotiations. The Qataris are 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.

Between the lines: 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.

• The White House views them as especially effective in negotiations with Iran, U.S. officials say.
• Al-Thani met Vice President Vance yesterday in Washington. He was supposed to return to Doha immediately, but changed his plan and went to Miami, one of the sources said.
• While in Miami, he called the Saudi foreign minister to discuss the mediation effort, the source said.
• The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

What's next: The sources said the meeting focused on the path to achieving a memorandum of understanding to end the war.

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