Qatari mediators returned to Tehran on Friday in a renewed effort to advance an agreement between the United States and Iran and prevent another military escalation, according to an official briefed on the talks.
The visit was coordinated with Washington, Reuters reported on Oct. 30. No breakthrough has been announced, and the two sides remain divided over how negotiations should begin.
Qatar previously presented Tehran with a draft peace plan, but a senior Iranian official described the proposals as unacceptable and said Iran would not change its position on its nuclear program.
Dispute Over the Sequence of Talks
Washington wants nuclear issues included from the start of any negotiations. Tehran says the United States must first end its blockade of Iranian ports and lift restrictions on Iranian oil exports.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Wednesday that Tehran remained in close contact with intermediaries and was reviewing ideas that could help implement Iran’s own seven-day de-escalation plan.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry has said proposals and messages continue to move between Washington and Tehran through the Qatari channel. Doha has described the diplomatic process as continuing while urging Iran to demonstrate its commitment to regional stability through concrete steps.
Risk of Renewed Escalation
The mediation is taking place amid continuing concern that large-scale fighting could resume. Regional intermediaries are trying to reach an arrangement covering Iran’s nuclear program, sanctions, the maritime blockade and the security of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
For now, the Qatari delegation’s return signals that negotiations are continuing, not that an agreement has been reached. The central U.S. and Iranian conditions remain incompatible.
Source: Vesti Baku; Reuters.