Iran and Qatar Discuss Conditional Hormuz Reopening

Iranian and Qatari officials held three days of talks in Doha over a possible deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while Tehran said the waterway could open within two days if an agreement met its demands. No agreement or reopening date has been confirmed. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran had proposed shortening the timetable from the seven days initially envisaged to two days under a deal meeting Tehran’s conditions. The proposed timetable is conditional, not a commitment that the strait will reopen within two days. Araghchi said the discussions were with Qatar and that no meeting with U.S. officials had taken place or was planned. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Iran’s demands and an end to the U.S. blockade must precede a final agreement and any reopening or securing of the strait. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi was in Doha to relay messages to Washington through Qatari intermediaries, Baghaei said. An unnamed official briefed on the negotiations said Iranian negotiators left Doha on Sunday, but not because of problems in the discussions. The official said another meeting remained possible and offered no details about a draft...