Qatar has renewed diplomatic engagement with Tehran as Washington and Iran remain divided over nuclear negotiations, port restrictions and oil export sanctions.
TEHRAN: Qatari mediators returned to Tehran on Friday as part of renewed diplomatic efforts to secure an agreement between the United States and Iran, an official briefed on the negotiations told Reuters.
The latest visit is part of mediation efforts coordinated with Washington, the official said, indicating that diplomatic engagement between the two sides is continuing despite significant differences over the terms of a potential agreement.
Qatar has been working to facilitate negotiations between Tehran and Washington as both countries remain divided over the conditions for ending the conflict in the Middle East.
On Sunday, Qatar presented Iran with a draft peace proposal aimed at advancing efforts to reach an agreement, according to an official familiar with the negotiations.
However, a senior Iranian official described the proposals as unacceptable and said Tehran would maintain its position on its nuclear programme.
The disagreement highlights the competing priorities of Washington and Tehran as diplomatic efforts continue.
The United States wants nuclear issues to be included from the beginning of negotiations. Washington is seeking to make Iran’s nuclear programme part of the initial discussions rather than leaving the matter for a later stage.
Iran, meanwhile, has called on the United States to first end its blockade of Iranian ports and lift sanctions restricting the country’s oil exports.
The differing positions have complicated efforts to establish a framework for negotiations, with both sides maintaining conditions they consider essential to reaching an agreement.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday that Tehran remained in close contact with intermediaries to examine proposals that could ensure the implementation of its own seven-day initiative to end the war in the Middle East.
His remarks indicated that Iran was continuing to engage with diplomatic intermediaries while reviewing possible ways forward.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Vice President JD Vance’s outreach to Iran concerned medical supplies.
Trump’s comments followed reports in US media linking Vance’s communication with Tehran to efforts to revive peace negotiations between the two countries.
The latest diplomatic activity comes amid continuing disagreements over nuclear issues, economic restrictions and the conditions required to end the conflict.
Qatar’s renewed engagement with Tehran on Friday represents another effort to keep diplomatic channels open as international mediation continues.
However, the positions outlined by Washington and Tehran suggest that major differences remain over the sequence and substance of any potential agreement.
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