Iranian negotiators have left discussions with Qatari mediators aimed at ending the war with the United States, while a draft proposal for a possible agreement is being circulated, an official briefed on the talks said on Monday.
The negotiators departed on Sunday, although their exit was not prompted by difficulties in the negotiations, the official said. A follow-up meeting remains possible, but details of the draft proposal have not been disclosed.
The latest diplomatic efforts centre on Iran’s conditions for ending the conflict, particularly the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the removal of the US naval blockade on Iran.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the discussions were based on a seven-step proposal developed by Tehran in September. The plan seeks to reopen the strategically important waterway and end the US blockade, with Iran now suggesting that its implementation could be accelerated under a potential agreement.
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Baghaei confirmed that Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi had travelled to Doha to facilitate the exchange of messages between Tehran and Washington through Qatari intermediaries.
“Our demands have been articulated very clearly and transparently,” Baghaei said, adding that no final agreement could be reached without ending the US naval blockade and addressing Iran’s demands.
Strait of Hormuz remains central to negotiations
The future of the Strait of Hormuz has emerged as a central issue in the latest diplomatic efforts.
On Saturday, Qatar-based broadcaster Al Jazeera quoted Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi as saying that an agreement could allow the strait to reopen within two days, compared with the seven-day period originally envisaged in Tehran’s proposal.
Iran’s initial proposal was rejected by US President Donald Trump, leaving uncertainty over whether Washington would accept the revised conditions.
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical international energy shipping route, making its reopening particularly important for global oil supplies and maritime trade.
Tehran has maintained that the US naval blockade must end before the waterway can be reopened or secured under an agreement.
US midterm elections add uncertainty to diplomatic efforts
The latest round of negotiations comes amid concerns that the conflict could escalate again after Tuesday’s US midterm elections.
Trump has said Washington would not launch new attacks on Iran before the vote and has described negotiations with Tehran as productive. However, he has not ruled out further military action.
Asked whether the US elections could change Washington’s approach, Baghaei said Tehran did not expect the midterms to “give birth to a new US”.
The remarks suggest that Iran remains focused on securing changes to American policy rather than expecting a significant shift following the elections.
Prospects for a broader agreement remain uncertain
The circulation of a draft proposal indicates that diplomatic channels remain active despite the departure of Iranian negotiators from Doha.
However, major disagreements remain over the conditions for ending the conflict, particularly the relationship between the US naval blockade, Iran’s demands and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Whether Washington is prepared to accept Tehran’s proposed sequence of steps remains unclear. A possible follow-up meeting could provide another opportunity to narrow differences, but no agreement has yet been announced.
For now, the negotiations remain focused on finding a framework that could prevent renewed military escalation while restoring access to one of the world’s most important maritime energy routes.
With information from Reuters.
