The indirect U.S.-Iranian Doha talks concluded late on Wednesday evening with "positive progress" and no new date, according to a Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman.
Qatari spokesman Majid al-Ansari said that the parties agreed to continue discussions during the coming period, with the date of the next meeting to be set as soon as possible after the end of the funeral processions of former Iranian leader Ali Khamenei, scheduled for July 4 and 5, more than 90 days after he was killed in a US raid on his headquarters in Tehran.
Ansari said Qatari and Pakistani mediators concluded separate meetings with U.S. and Iranian negotiators on Wednesday where "positive progress" had been made on issues related to the memorandum of understanding signed in Islamabad, without giving any further details.
Abadi: We did not meet the US delegation in Doha
For his part, Iran's chief negotiator Kazem Gharibabadi confirmed on Wednesday that "no meeting was held in Doha between the Iranian and American delegations," explaining that the parties participating in the talks decided to establish an urgent communication channel for the monitoring team by Thursday, with the aim of officially and documented reporting on the shortcomings of the memorandum of understanding, discussing them and taking the necessary decisions on them.
The Iranian chief negotiator pointed out that meetings with Qatari officials, including the Central Bank, addressed some issues related to spending part of the initial $6 billion, pointing to an agreement to purchase the goods that Iran needs according to the needs it declares and deliver them to it.
He said the Iranian delegation raised the "violations" of the United States' obligations under the first clause of the memorandum of understanding related to ending the war in Lebanon, along with reports on Washington's moves to reinforce its equipment and forces in the region and some "threats and interventions" issued by US officials.
Gharibabadi pointed out in remarks reported by Iran's official IRNA news agency that the commitments of the memorandum of understanding "constitute an integrated package and cannot be dealt with separately and selectively."
US official: Agreement to maintain calm next week
A US official told Axios: "We have reached an agreement to remain calm over the next week so that progress can be made on all aspects of the memorandum of understanding in a productive environment, without rocket fire."
"The president has made it clear that we will respond by firing more missiles every time they fire, and we will target targets that weaken their position in the Strait of Hormuz," the official added.
Earlier, an informed source said that Witkoff and Kushner met with the Qatari foreign minister to lay the necessary foundations for the technical sessions, but without attending the talks.
A senior Iranian official said indirect talks between Tehran and Washington had been ongoing since Tuesday evening in Doha, adding that discussions were focused on the release of frozen Iranian funds and the Strait of Hormuz.
"Indirect negotiations began on Tuesday evening and Iran held meetings with Qatari and Pakistani officials, who in turn met with the US side," the official said. The indirect talks continued on Wednesday and focused on Iran's frozen assets and the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. military announces missing one of its soldiers in Arabian Sea
U.S. President Donald Trump said ships were crossing the Strait of Hormuz "in numbers that no one has ever seen," noting that shipping was setting records in the strait. He added that oil prices continue to fall.
The US military also announced the loss of one of its soldiers and the wounding of 3 others after an MH-60SC Hawk military helicopter made an emergency landing in the Arabian Sea.
The U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet said search and rescue operations were still underway to find a missing aircrew member, stressing that there were no indications so far that the incident was caused by hostile action, adding that the helicopter belonged to the George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier group.
Comments (0)