Iranian negotiators left talks with Qatari mediators on Sunday, but the discussions have not broken down, Reuters reported, citing an official familiar with the meetings. The official said a draft agreement aimed at ending the U.S.-Iran war is circulating, and more meetings could still take place.
The official added that the Iranian side’s departure was not due to difficulties in the negotiations.
Talks still tied to Iran’s September “seven-step plan”
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Baghaei confirmed that Deputy Foreign Minister Gharibabadi had previously exchanged messages with Washington in Doha through Qatari mediation. He said the current consultations are still based on Iran’s “seven-step plan” proposed in September.
According to the report, the core elements of that plan include an end to the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. waivers for Iranian oil exports, and the removal of recent new sanctions.
Baghaei said the plan could now be compressed into implementation in about two days, provided that Washington meets Iran’s conditions. Asked whether the parties had discussed transferring stockpiles of highly enriched uranium, he gave a clear denial.
Oil falls nearly 4%, while Iranian sources still see strike risk as higher
Reuters said oil prices fell nearly 4% on Monday as markets reacted to hopes surrounding the latest mediation effort. Even so, Iranian sources said the likelihood of a new U.S. military strike remains higher than the chances of reaching an agreement.
On the same day, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and the Russian Foreign Ministry separately called for a political solution and opposed any renewed military action.
The report added that U.S. President Donald Trump had previously rejected Iran’s original seven-step proposal and said he would not launch a new attack on Iran before the midterm elections.
