Negotiators braced for worst as US-Iran talks seek to reopen Strait of Hormuz

Doha talks continue

Qatar’s mediation ran into a third day on Sunday, focused on a proposal to release more than $6bn in Iranian assets. The move could lead to reopening the Strait of Hormuz and resuming negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme.

Qatar is working on a plan to compress the sequence of steps: the US would lift sanctions, then Iran would reopen the strait and begin nuclear talks. Iran has agreed to reduce the timetable from seven days to two, according to the report.

The talks are indirect, and Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, is not taking part in the Doha mediation. Other Iranian diplomats are involved, while Araghchi is due to travel to Turkmenistan on Monday.

Gulf officials urge caution

United Arab Emirates envoy Anwar Gargash said further escalation would serve neither Iran nor its neighbours. He said Gulf states were “braced for the worst,” and stressed that Iran is a neighbour with which relations matter.

Qatar continued its mediation after unidentified missiles struck a Qatari LNG tanker bound for Pakistan near the Strait of Hormuz on Friday. The vessel had received clearance and safe-passage approval from Tehran hours before the attack.

Washington weighs diplomacy

Araghchi said he hoped Washington would choose “diplomacy over other paths.” He said Iran was prepared for defence or diplomacy, depending on the US response, and that no direct talks with Washington were planned. US secretary of state Marco Rubio said on Saturday that Washington was open to a diplomatic solution. Iran’s security chief, Mohsen Rezaei, said he had received a letter from US vice-president JD Vance seeking to revive talks; he noted a positive change in the US tone but had not responded.

President Donald Trump said the US had knocked out much of Iran’s military but still needed to “take care of” one or two targets. He said negotiations were going fine, while also calling Iran unreliable.

Nuclear issue remains disputed

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Araghchi said Iran had offered to reopen the strait within two days if the US lifted its blockade on oil ships, stopped blocking the release of Iranian assets and ended sanctions on Iranian oil exports. Iranian parliament deputy speaker Ali Nikzad said Tehran would not negotiate on its nuclear programme under any circumstances or pressure. He cited what he described as broken promises and bombing of peaceful nuclear facilities.

The report says the war was started by the US and Israel in February. Tehran warned of reprisals if attacked, while Rezaei said the conflict was bringing wider international repercussions than the Vietnam war.