Doha, Qatar. Iran’s top negotiator and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi was in Doha on Monday for talks with Qatar’s prime minister on a possible deal with the US to end the three-month conflict, according to an official briefed on the visit. Washington and Tehran both downplayed expectations of an immediate breakthrough.
Diplomacy
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in New Delhi that diplomacy would be given “every chance to succeed” before Washington considered dealing with Iran “another way”.
Rubio said there was “a pretty solid thing on the table” involving the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the start of “a very real, significant, time-limited negotiation on the nuclear matter”.
US President Donald Trump later said on Truth Social that talks with Iran were progressing “nicely”, while warning that further attacks could follow if negotiations collapsed.
“It will only be a Great Deal for all, or no Deal at all,” Trump wrote.
Remaining gaps
Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said progress had been made on several issues, but said the sides remained far from a final agreement.
An official familiar with the Doha discussions told Reuters the talks focused mainly on the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium. Iran’s central bank governor also attended discussions concerning the possible release of frozen Iranian funds as part of a broader settlement.
Baghaei said nuclear issues would only be discussed further if a framework agreement was reached first.
Trump has repeatedly said the main objective of the conflict is to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, an allegation Tehran continues to reject.
Significant disagreements remain over sanctions relief, the release of frozen oil revenues and regional conflicts, including Israel’s war in Lebanon against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement.
