US-Iran Talks: Indirect Negotiations End Without Breakthrough on Nuclear Dispute

DOHA: Iran and the United States have concluded another round of indirect negotiations in Qatar without making a breakthrough on the key issue of Iran’s nuclear programme, according to officials and sources familiar with the talks.

Negotiators spent two days in Doha discussing maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and financial incentives for Iran. The discussions focused on implementing elements of the interim agreement announced in June rather than addressing the broader disputes the framework was intended to resolve.

Speaking in Washington, US President Donald Trump said negotiations on possible limits to Iran’s nuclear programme were progressing positively.

“The denuclearization of Iran is moving along well,” Trump told reporters. “They’ve had very good meetings, and we’ll see.”

However, sources familiar with the negotiations said the nuclear issue was not discussed during the latest round of talks, describing the meetings as technical in nature.

US Vice President JD Vance acknowledged that the nuclear programme remains a central concern and said discussions on the issue would take place in future negotiations.

The two sides did not meet directly. Instead, Qatari and Pakistani mediators carried messages between the Iranian and US delegations throughout the talks.

According to sources, senior US officials, including Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, did not participate in the meetings despite travelling to the region for separate diplomatic engagements.

Iran’s delegation, led by Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, confirmed that the negotiations had concluded. Neither Tehran nor Washington indicated whether they had narrowed their differences.

The interim agreement calls for the restoration of commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway that previously carried around one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies before the conflict.

Although commercial traffic has partially resumed, uncertainty remains after Iran and the United States exchanged military strikes last weekend following an Iranian attack on a cargo vessel.