Qatar says its mediation efforts between US and Iran continue to prevent escalation

Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said the country's mediation efforts between the US and Iran were continuing to prevent the situation in the region from spiraling out of control.

The US administration remained willing to find a solution even after the midterm elections, signalling that Washington's interest in reaching an agreement had not changed, Al-Thani said.

Significant progress had been made and Al-Thani expressed confidence that a settlement could be reached.

"We cannot wait to reach a perfect agreement; we hope to reach a good agreement," he said.

Countries in the region had been anticipating that US President Donald Trump, who has held off on strikes on Iran during the weeks leading up to Tuesday's midterm elections, could restart attacks once the voting is over.

Iran has been proposing its own seven-day plan since September, so far rejected by Trump. It calls for Washington to lift a blockade of Iranian ports, unfreeze assets and approve an Iranian-backed route through the Strait of Hormuz, after which the contested waterway would be reopened.