Qatar Confirms US-Iran Indirect Talks Continue Despite Differences

Doha: Qatar has confirmed that indirect negotiations between the United States and Iran are continuing despite major differences between the two sides over key issues.

Qatari Foreign Ministry official Ibrahim Al Hashimi said during a regular briefing on Tuesday that talks remained underway with the concerns of the various parties being taken into consideration.

He also confirmed that Washington and Tehran were exchanging messages through Qatar and other regional partners.

Al Hashimi said the conflict was imposing a heavy cost on the international community and urged all sides to intensify efforts to find an acceptable solution through negotiations.

Diplomatic efforts to end the war have continued for months, but previous initiatives have failed to resolve the central differences between Washington and Tehran.

The April ceasefire, June memorandum of understanding and diplomatic contacts on the sidelines of last month’s UN General Assembly did not produce a breakthrough.

The Strait of Hormuz remains a major sticking point in the negotiations because of its importance to global oil and gas shipments.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Monday that talks with Washington had become meaningless, citing previous negotiations followed by three attacks on Iran.

Despite the differences, Qatar’s latest statement indicates that indirect diplomatic channels between the two countries remain open.