US, Iran to resume talks after Khamenei funeral
Positive progress in Doha
Qatari and Pakistani mediators said separate meetings with the US and Iranian delegations in Doha on Wednesday yielded “positive progress,” with both sides agreeing to continue talks at the earliest opportunity following Khamenei’s funeral.
The negotiations are based on a 14-point interim agreement reached last month that halted the Middle East war, reopened the Strait of Hormuz and launched a 60-day process aimed at securing a permanent peace deal.
US President Donald Trump welcomed the latest discussions, saying “the denuclearization of Iran is moving along well.”
“They've had very good meetings, and we'll see,” he told reporters.
Key issues remain unresolved
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, who led Tehran’s delegation, said the sides agreed to establish a communications channel to report and address alleged violations of the interim accord.
He said discussions also covered the release of frozen Iranian assets, including the use of an initial $6 billion for humanitarian purchases.
Despite the progress, major issues remain unresolved, particularly Iran’s nuclear program and the future management of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has continued to insist that negotiations with Washington remain indirect and has called for international recognition of its authority over the strategic waterway.
Regional tensions persist
The talks come despite recent exchanges of fire in the Gulf following the interim ceasefire, underscoring the fragile nature of the agreement.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on the first day of the war on Feb. 28, will be honored at a public funeral in Tehran on Saturday before being buried on July 9 in his hometown of Mashhad. His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, assumed the role of supreme leader shortly after his death.
Source:AA-DailySabah
