Negotiators from Iran and the US concluded a round of indirect talks in Doha on Wednesday, July 1, with no sign of progress toward a lasting peace. The talks focused on maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and unfreezing Iran's funds, two critical issues under an initial agreement announced two weeks ago.
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi led the delegation, while Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, a top US envoy, were expected to attend but didn't show up. The Iranian and US sides held separate meetings with Qatari and Pakistani mediators.
Sources familiar with the discussions said negotiators spent two days discussing issues related to the Strait of Hormuz, but the nuclear program was not on the agenda. US Vice President JD Vance said the US will address the nuclear issue later.
The talks were technical in nature, and neither side said whether they had bridged any of their differences. Iran has been pushing for international recognition of its control over the Strait of Hormuz, even if it means doing so by force.
The initial deal calls for Iran and the US to allow shipping to resume through the Strait of Hormuz, which handled one-fifth of global oil and liquid natural gas trade before the war. Though traffic has partially resumed, the status of the strategic waterway remains unclear.
Iran's state media said a foreign container ship had run aground in shallow waters outside the shipping route designated by Iranian authorities. Analysts cut their price forecasts for oil after US President Donald Trump's comments, which played down the possibility of a return to all-out war with Iran.
The next meeting will take place after funeral processions for Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is due to be buried on July 9.
Oil prices fell to their lowest level in four months following Trump's remarks. Several European countries have offered to help clear mines from the Strait, but Germany's defense minister Boris Pistorius said he didn't expect his country to participate.
Iran is determined to win international recognition of its control over the Strait even if it has to do so by force, two senior Iranian sources said. It will assess tolls on shipping starting in mid-August, after a toll-free period specified by the initial agreement expires.
The denuclearization of Iran is moving along well, Trump said. They've had very good meetings, and we'll see. But US and Iranian negotiators held separate meetings with Qatari and Pakistani mediators, according to Qatar's foreign ministry.