US-Iran talks in Doha: What were the outcomes and what’s next?

Iran and the United States concluded a circular of indirect method talks on Wednesday with nary motion they had made headway towards a lasting peace.

Instead, the 2 countries focused connected issues that they said had been resolved erstwhile an interim statement was announced 2 weeks ago.

The indirect talks followed days of tit-for-tat subject attacks by the US and Iran amid a quality implicit shipping routes successful the Strait of Hormuz.

Who participated successful these talks?

In Doha connected Wednesday, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani met US peculiar envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and reaffirmed Qatar’s continued mediation efforts, alongside Pakistan, to extremity the warfare successful the Middle East.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, headed the country’s method squad successful the talks.

Iran’s apical negotiators, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, did not be the talks.

What did the 2 sides hold on?

While neither broadside commented connected whether they had managed to span immoderate of their differences during the talks, Gharibabadi told Iranian media that 2 meetings were held.

The archetypal gathering addressed the US’s “violations of its obligations”, Gharibabadi said, adding that the sides decided to found a connection transmission to resoluteness disputes.

The 2nd gathering addressed the merchandise of $6bn successful frozen Iranian funds.

“During the meetings with Qatari officials, including the Central Bank, a fig of issues related to the expenditure of portion of the archetypal $6bn were reviewed,” Gharibabadi said.

“It was agreed that, based connected the needs communicated by our country, the required goods would beryllium purchased and made disposable to Iran.”

What astir the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s atomic programme?

US Vice President JD Vance said discussions were held connected the Strait of Hormuz, while informed sources said Tehran’s atomic programme, its frozen funds and the struggle successful Lebanon were besides connected the table.

Based connected shipping data, commercialized postulation done the strait appears to beryllium rebounding. According to information from Kpler, commercialized vessel movements done the Strait of Hormuz roseate by much than 50 percent successful the week of June 22–28, compared with the erstwhile week.

On Thursday, Ghalibaf denied reports that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had entree to the Iranian atomic sites bombed during the 12-day warfare past year, namely, Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan.

The IRIB broadcaster quoted him arsenic saying: “Currently, inspectors lone person entree to 2 locations: Bushehr powerfulness works and Tehran reactor.”

Ghalibaf added that the parliament had passed a instrumentality barring specified access.

“Parliament itself passed the law, and the Supreme National Security Council has besides adopted a corresponding resolution.”

Ghalibaf’s comments came aft IAEA main Rafael Grossi said the agency’s inspectors volition “have to person entree and inspect” Iran’s atomic sites nether the Iran-US memorandum of knowing (MoU).

What’s next?

Qatar has said that Iranian and US negotiators had made “positive progress” during the method talks successful Doha.

“Qatar & Pakistan mediators concluded abstracted meetings with the US & Iranian negotiators successful Doha today, with affirmative advancement made connected issues related to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, gathering connected the outcomes of the Lake Lucerne Summit,” Qatar overseas ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said connected Wednesday connected X.

“The parties agreed to proceed discussions implicit the coming period, with the adjacent gathering to beryllium scheduled arsenic soon arsenic imaginable aft the decision of the ceremonial processions for the erstwhile Iranian Supreme Leader,” helium added.

Pakistan’s overseas ministry issued an identical connection connected Thursday.

Six-day ceremonial processions for erstwhile Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed successful a US-Israeli onslaught connected the archetypal time of the war, are acceptable to statesman connected Saturday successful Iran and Iraq. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is among those expected to question to Tehran connected Friday to honour Khamenei.