US-Iran Talks: Reports of Progress as the Most Sensitive Issues Are Deferred
American and Iranian negotiators have made what Qatar described as “positive progress” during indirect talks held in Doha.
Majed Al-Ansari, spokesperson for Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, wrote on his X account (formerly Twitter): “Qatari and Pakistani mediators concluded separate meetings in Doha with the American and Iranian negotiators, during which positive progress was achieved on issues related to the memorandum of understanding signed in Islamabad, based on the outcomes of the Lake Lucerne Summit.”
Al-Ansari added that the parties had agreed to continue discussions in the coming period, with the date of the next meeting to be set as soon as possible after the conclusion of the funeral ceremonies for Iran’s former Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a joint US-Israeli airstrike on February 28.
In Washington, US President Donald Trump said that both sides were making progress regarding potential restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program, which he described as the primary reason for launching the war.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said: “The process of dismantling Iran’s nuclear program is going very well. They had very good meetings, and we’ll see what happens.”
However, sources told Reuters that “the nuclear program was not discussed during the talks, which were of a technical nature.”
Reduced Likelihood of War
US Vice President J. D. Vance also expressed concern about the nuclear issue while speaking to reporters, stating: “We’re going to start talking about that.”
Reuters, citing a source, reported that Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law, and senior US envoy Steve Witkoff, who had been dispatched to the Middle East for what the White House described as “high-level talks,” did not attend the negotiation sessions.
Meanwhile, Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister and head of the Iranian delegation, announced that the talks had concluded. Neither side indicated whether they had succeeded in narrowing their differences.
The preliminary agreement provides for the resumption of maritime navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies passed before the war.
Although shipping has partially resumed, the status of this strategic maritime corridor remains uncertain after both countries exchanged attacks over the weekend following an Iranian strike on a commercial vessel.
Under the memorandum of understanding, the parties granted themselves sixty days to reach a comprehensive nuclear agreement. However, two weeks into that timeframe, they are still debating the terms of the memorandum they had already signed, according to the American news outlet Axios.
On Wednesday, Trump nevertheless downplayed the possibility of a return to full-scale war with Iran, saying: “I think they’ve come a long way.”
US sources also told Axios that Trump had requested a review of military options against Iran in recent days but ultimately decided to allow the diplomatic negotiations to continue.
