Trump threatens Iran with "decapitation" as Houthis claim strike on Saudi airport

Qatar's foreign ministry said Tuesday that mediators in the U.S.-Iran conflict were "consistently working to create the appropriate conditions for the resumption of direct dialogue."

Countries in the Middle East were working collaboratively to avoid any new escalation in fighting, said Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari, advisor to Qatar's prime minister and spokesperson for Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Al Ansari said in a weekly press briefing that Qatar, Oman and Pakistan have been "bending constant efforts to facilitate engagement" between the U.S. and Iran "to bridge their viewpoints."

Al Ansari also said Qatar is firm in its stance on freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, and that "the minimum demands at the current stage are to return to the previous status of the Strait, in line with international law and in coordination with all littoral and concerned nations," according to the foreign ministry.

U.S. job openings fell slightly in June, but the labor market continued to show resilience in the face of economic shock from fighting in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Employers posted 7.36 million vacancies in June, down from 7.54 million in May, the Labor Department said Tuesday.

Openings dropped at wholesalers and manufacturers of nondurable goods. Openings rose by 97,000 at warehouse, transportation and utility companies and 39,000 at federal government agencies.

Layoffs were little-changed at 1.8 million, and the number of people quitting their jobs - a sign of confidence in their prospects - rose slightly.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday the U.S. was "involved in" talks between Iran and Oman, and that Iran's denuclearization is the "ultimate deal."

Asked about the possibilities of a deal with Iran, Rubio said: "There's a big deal, which is the one that has to do with their nuclear ambitions. They can never have a nuclear weapon. So the denuclearization of Iran is the ultimate deal."

"I think the immediate deal, the one that there is focus on, is the Straits," he added, referring to the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb, two key Middle Eastern energy chokepoints that have been periodically closed by Iran and its Houthi allies over the course of the war.

"The Straits are open," Rubio said, repeating a line often touted by the Trump administration. "Nonetheless, I think that there's a conversation and a negotiation - that we are involved in - between Oman and Iran on how more ships can be able to go through there safely in the short term as we move towards the longer-term talks about denuclear