Qatari Mediators Return to Tehran for US-Iran Talks

Qatari mediators returned to Tehran on Friday in a renewed effort to advance a deal between the United States and Iran, as the two sides remained divided over the conditions for negotiations. The delegation’s arrival was reported by Iran’s state news agency IRNA, while an official briefed on the talks said the mediation was coordinated with Washington. The official said Qatar had presented Iran with a draft peace plan on Sunday. A senior Iranian official described the proposals as unacceptable and said Tehran would maintain its position on nuclear issues. The official said Washington wants nuclear matters included from the start of negotiations, while Iran wants the US port blockade ended and oil sanctions lifted first. The disagreement concerns both the substance of a potential agreement and the order in which the parties would address their demands. The reported positions leave no agreed negotiating framework, though Qatar’s return indicates that indirect diplomatic contacts are continuing. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Wednesday that Tehran remained in contact with intermediaries to examine proposals for implementing Iran’s own seven-day plan to end the war....