Iranupdated 1h ago2 min read
Archive photo · 6 October 2009Iranian Negotiators Leave Doha Talks as Draft US Proposal Circulates for Feedback
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Iranian negotiators left Doha talks, according to Reuters citing an official. A draft proposal is circulating to gather feedback from parties.
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Doha talks end, draft circulates
Iranian negotiators left Doha talks on Sunday, and an official said the departure was not due to difficulties in negotiations aimed to reach a deal to end the US-Israeli war on Iran. The official said a draft proposal was being circulated for feedback and that a follow-up meeting was possible.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi had been in Doha to facilitate the exchange of messages with Washington via Qatari intermediaries. The diplomatic round came amid concerns the conflict could escalate again after Tuesday’s midterm elections in the United States, and Baghaei said Tehran did not expect elections to "give birth to a new US."
Iran’s conditions and timeline
Esmaeil Baghaei said the basis of the talks was a seven-step plan Iran drew up in September to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the US naval blockade on Iran. Baghaei said Tehran now suggested the proposal could be implemented on a faster timeline under a deal, and he tied any final agreement to the blockade being brought to an end.
Baghaei said, "No final agreement can be initiated, nor can the Strait of Hormuz be reopened or secured, unless the US naval blockade is brought to an end, Iran’s demands are respected, and Iran’s legitimate requirements are addressed," as Qatari intermediaries continued message exchanges. The Straits Times also reported that Al Jazeera quoted Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi as saying that, under a deal, the Strait of Hormuz could be opened within a two-day timeline rather than within the seven days originally envisaged.
Midterms, escalation fears, next steps
The latest diplomatic efforts came as concerns persisted that the conflict could escalate again after Tuesday’s midterm elections in the United States. Baghaei said Tehran did not expect elections to "give birth to a new US," while the same reporting said Trump had said the United States would not launch new attacks on Iran before the vote and that talks with Tehran had been productive.
The Straits Times said a follow-up meeting remained possible after the negotiators departed on Nov 1, though it did not report that any agreement had been announced. The report also placed the Strait of Hormuz at the center of the negotiations, with Baghaei saying the blockade and Iran’s demands had to be addressed before the waterway could be reopened or secured.