Iran, US conclude indirect talks with no peace headway

Indirect talks between Iran and the United States in Doha concluded Wednesday without significant breakthroughs toward a lasting peace, focusing instead on resolving issues previously addressed in an interim agreement. Negotiators spent two days discussing maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and the unfreezing of Iranian funds, two critical components of the initial deal.

The next round of discussions is slated to occur after the funeral of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, expected on July 9. Qatar's Foreign Ministry described the Doha discussions as yielding "positive progress" on issues related to the memorandum that halted hostilities in June, stating they were "building on the outcomes" of a summit in Switzerland.

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The denuclearization of Iran is moving along well. They've had very good meetings, and we'll see.

U.S. President Donald Trump, however, offered a more optimistic outlook, telling reporters that progress was being made on potential limits to Iran's nuclear program, a primary justification for the war launched in February. "The denuclearization of Iran is moving along well," Trump said. Yet, sources familiar with the talks indicated that the nuclear program was not on the agenda, as the discussions were technical in nature. U.S. Vice President JD Vance acknowledged the concern, stating, "Obviously, we're worried about the nuclear issue, we're going to start talking about that."

American and Iranian negotiators met separately with Qatari and Pakistani mediators. Notably, Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and top U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff were not present at these sessions. Iran's delegation leader, Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, confirmed the talks' conclusion, but neither side elaborated on whether differences had been bridged. The lack of clear progress fuels concerns about potential direct intervention from Tokyo and leaves the status of the Strait of Hormuz, which handles a fifth of global oil trade, uncertain amid ongoing exchanges of strikes.

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Obviously, we're worried about the nuclear issue, we're going to start talking about that.