Iran Team Leaves Doha as Draft US Deal Circulates, Talks Not Broken, Official Says

Photo: Iranian Presidency Office via AP (file)

Iran's negotiators have left Doha, but the talks are not broken. An official briefed on the discussions told Reuters the team left on Sunday for reasons other than trouble in the negotiations, and a draft proposal for a deal with the United States is now being circulated for feedback, with a follow up meeting possible.

The negotiators spent three days in talks with Qatari mediators, trying to find a deal to end the war with the United States. Their departure had raised the obvious question: had the talks collapsed? The official's answer, reported by Reuters on Monday, was no. The team left on Sunday, but not because of difficulties in the negotiations. No further detail was given on what the draft proposal contains.

Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, said the basis of the talks is a seven step plan Iran drew up in September. That plan aims to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the US naval blockade on Iran. Tehran is now suggesting the plan could be put into action on a faster timeline under a deal.

That faster timeline is the newest part of the story. On Saturday, Reuters reported that Al Jazeera had quoted Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi as saying the strait could be opened within two days of a deal, rather than within the seven days first envisaged. Iran's first proposal was rejected by US President Donald Trump, so the two day idea is still only a proposal, not an agreement.

Baghaei also said Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi had been in Doha to help pass messages to Washington through Qatari intermediaries. Araqchi said on Sunday that Tehran was ready for both defence and diplomacy, and described the consultations as ongoing and progressing.

For readers in Pakistan, the Hormuz question matters in a very direct way. The strait is the route for much of the region's oil and gas shipping, so anything that reopens it safely eases pressure on fuel and LNG supplies. Nothing is agreed yet, though, and no final deal has been announced by either side.

The numbers that frame the talks:

• 3 days of consultations in Doha between Iranian negotiators and Qatari mediators.
• 7 steps in Iran's September plan to reopen the strait and end the blockade.
• 7 days first proposed for reopening the strait, now 2 days suggested by Tehran.
• 3 November: the US midterm elections, after which both sides fear the conflict could heat up again.

Trump has said Washington will not launch new attacks on Iran before the vote, and has called the talks productive, but he has not ruled out further military action afterwards.

Sources

• Reuters, Iranians have left Doha talks, draft proposal for US deal being circulated, official says
• Arab News, Iranian negotiators depart Doha, but talks with Qatar not derailed, says official

The next step is feedback on the draft proposal and a possible follow up meeting, so the coming days will show whether the paper turns into a real agreement.

#Iran #Doha #Hormuz #MiddleEast #US #BreakingNews