US-Iran Doha talks end without breakthrough, focus on Strait of Hormuz
Indirect US-Iran talks in Doha concluded without a breakthrough, focusing on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and financial incentives rather than the nuclear program.
A round of indirect talks between Iran and the United States ended on Wednesday with no signs of progress toward a lasting peace, as negotiators focused on issues supposedly resolved two weeks earlier. Over two days in Doha, the sides discussed maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and financial incentives for Iran—two pillars of the initial agreement signed in June—rather than more difficult topics like limits on Iran's nuclear program.
In Washington, US President Donald Trump claimed progress on nuclear limits, saying "the denuclearisation of Iran is moving along well." However, sources said the nuclear program was not discussed in the technical talks. US Vice President JD Vance noted that the nuclear issue would be addressed later. The talks were indirect, with mediators from Qatar and Pakistan shuttling between the two delegations. Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and top envoy Steve Witkoff, whom the White House had billed as high-level participants, did not attend the sessions, according to an anonymous source. Iran's deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi confirmed the talks had concluded, but neither side disclosed whether differences had been bridged.
The initial deal calls for resuming shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which handled one-fifth of global oil and LNG before the war. Traffic has partially resumed, but the waterway's status remains unclear after an Iranian attack on a cargo ship last weekend prompted retaliatory strikes. Two senior Iranian sources said Tehran is determined to gain international recognition of its control over the strait, even by force, and will assess tolls on shipping starting in mid-August after a toll-free period expires.
Trump downplayed the risk of a return to all-out war, and oil prices fell to their lowest in four months, prompting analysts to cut price forecasts for the first time since the war began. Iran's state media reported that a foreign container ship ran aground in shallow waters outside the designated shipping route. Several European countries have offered to help clear mines from the strait, but Germany's defense minister Boris Pistorius said Germany is unlikely to participate due to Iran's unwillingness to cooperate with other nations.
