Despite Iran's refusal to hold direct talks with the US delegation, Washington has announced positive results from consultations in Qatar. According to a US administration official, the negotiation process is ongoing and technical consultations with Tehran are moving forward.
This was reported by Bloomberg.
According to the publication, US presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held productive meetings with regional leaders in Doha. At the same time, indirect technical talks between the US and Iran are also continuing.
As a senior US administration official noted on condition of anonymity, the parties are seeking to reduce tensions after the recent escalation.
What preceded
In early June, the US and Iran signed an interim agreement that opened a 60-day period for further negotiations on a long-term settlement. However, in recent days, the process has been complicated by disputes related to the situation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Earlier, the Iranian side said that it did not plan to hold direct meetings with US representatives. Because of this, the American delegation held consultations through the mediation of Qatar.
What issues remain controversial
According to Bloomberg, one of the main stumbling blocks remains the future regime of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of world supplies of oil and liquefied natural gas passed before the war.
Tehran insists on the right to control the movement of vessels and allows the possibility of introducing transit fees after the end of the interim agreement. The United States, European states and most Gulf states are categorically against such an idea.
In addition, the parties have not yet reached an agreement on unfreezing billions of dollars of Iranian assets.
At the same time, according to The Wall Street Journal, US President Donald Trump is not currently planning to resume a large-scale military campaign against Iran and does not object if the negotiations continue after August 18.
As a reminder, peace talks between the United States and Iran have encountered new difficulties. The Iranian authorities refused to hold planned direct contacts with the American delegation in Doha, which is why the negotiations took place only with the participation of Qatari mediators.
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