Qatar Returns to Tehran as U.S. Toll Reaches 23

Qatari officials returned to Tehran on Friday to press for a settlement between Washington and Iran. The move comes as the U.S. military reported two additional service member deaths, raising the total toll to 23 since the conflict began more than eight months ago.

The delegation is led by a senior adviser to Qatar’s prime minister and foreign minister. An official briefed on the diplomacy confirmed that Qatar presented a new draft deal to Iran. The discussions focus on bilateral relations and regional developments, but Tehran has stated it will not change its position on the nuclear issue, a point Washington insists on including from the start.

Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz remain high. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Friday that two oil tankers were halted after unspecified incidents. The IRGC claimed the ships were using an unauthorized route in the strait. They stated the tankers had turned off their navigation and positioning systems while attempting to exit through that path.

This incident followed reports from Thursday. The U.K. navy’s Maritime Trade Operations center said a tanker was struck by a projectile while exiting the strait via the southern route. Iran’s navy also claimed that four other ships had hit sea mines in the area, causing fires. It is unclear if the vessel hit by the projectile is one of the four ships that struck mines, though the timing suggests they may be separate events.

Diplomatic channels remain active but cautious. Vice President JD Vance sent a letter to Mohsen Rezaei, the secretary of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council. Iranian media reports that Tehran has not yet replied to that message. President Trump told reporters that the outreach was intended only to facilitate the delivery of medical supplies, denying it was an attempt to restart wider peace talks.

The Pentagon added two names to its Defense Casualty Analysis System portal. Both were airmen who died of noncombat causes. One died of an illness, and the other died from causes that remain under investigation. In total, 11 service members have been killed by enemy fire, while 12 others have died under nonhostile circumstances.

Elsewhere in the region, the Saudi-led coalition intercepted a drone in the Mecca region on Friday. The coalition attributed the drone to Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree denied the group launched the drone, stating they only target Saudi oil facilities and military bases. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran continues to give diplomacy a chance to succeed.