Iran and the US concluded a round of indirect talks on Wednesday with no sign they had made headway toward a lasting peace, focusing instead on issues that they said had been resolved when an interim deal was announced two weeks ago. Sources said negotiators spent two days in Doha discussing maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
The US and Iran held indirect technical talks in Doha on Wednesday as they seek to agree on the flow of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and secure a lasting ceasefire, a source with direct knowledge of the talks and an Iranian official said.
The United States and Iran have agreed to halt their latest hostilities in the Gulf and resume negotiations for a comprehensive treaty, raising hopes that a fragile interim peace arrangement can survive despite days of escalating military exchanges.
US President Donald Trump said his patience with Iran was running out and that Chinese President Xi Jinping had agreed during their talks in Beijing that Tehran must reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Fresh diplomatic momentum is building around possible talks between the United States and Iran, with both sides signalling cautious openness even as they stop short of confirming direct engagement.
Momentum is building toward US-Iran peace talks over the weekend following a possible agreement over Tehran’s nuclear programme and the ceasefire in Lebanon.
Oil prices extended their decline on Wednesday, as cautious optimism over a possible resumption of US-Iran talks eased immediate supply fears, even as underlying risks from the ongoing conflict continued to cap losses.
Talks aimed at ending the Iran war could resume in Pakistan within the next two days, US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday, raising cautious hopes for a breakthrough even as a fragile ceasefire nears its expiry in the coming days.
The US and Iran failed to reach an agreement after marathon 21-hour talks in the Pakistani capital Islamabad throwing the two-week Middle East ceasefire into doubt.
Oil prices continued their upward climb on Monday, as markets focused on escalating geopolitical risks in the Middle East despite renewed assertions by US President Donald Trump that talks with Iran remain under way and could still lead to a diplomatic breakthrough.
