Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, July 1 / Reuters-Yonhap
DOHA/DUBAI/VIRGINIA BEACH, Virginia — Iran and the United States concluded a round of indirect talks on Wednesday with no sign they had made headway toward a lasting peace, focusing instead on issues that they said had been resolved when an interim agreement was announced two weeks ago.
Sources familiar with the discussions said negotiators for the two countries spent two days in Doha discussing maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and unfreezing Iran's funds, two critical issues under the initial agreement.
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, Qatar's Foreign Ministry said. The Doha discussions produced "positive progress" on issues related to the memorandum that halted the war in June and were "building on the outcomes" of a summit in Switzerland, the ministry spokesperson said in a post on X.
In Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump said the two sides were making progress on possible limits to Iran's nuclear program — the main reason he launched the war along with Israel in February. "The denuclearization of Iran is moving along well," he told reporters. "They've had very good meetings, and we'll see."
