Efforts to resolve US-Iran conflict in "very progressive stages", drafts of potential agreement "being circulated": Qatar
Doha, August 4
Amid a rapidly evolving situation in West Asia, Qatar on Tuesday said the efforts to resolve the conflict between the US and Iran are in "very progressive stages", noting that the drafts of a potential agreement are "being circulated", CNN reported.
The remarks were made by Qatar's Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari during his weekly news conference.
Commenting on the conflicting statements being issued by Tehran and Washington officials about negotiations, al-Ansari said, "We can confirm that the efforts are still ongoing with all the parties. We are looking towards a diplomatic resolution as we are speaking right now."
As per CNN, he said that "efforts on the ground" to resolve the crisis are in "very progressive stages."
Al Jazeera reported that Ansari underlined Qatar's call for de-escalation and dialogue, while adding that Doha supports Oman's mediation efforts and is hopeful that an agreement will be reached in the coming hours or days.
As per the report by Al Jazeera, al-Ansari said that while no direct talks are happening but that mediators are speaking to each other, adding that drafts of agreements are being passed around just as they have been since this conflict began in February.
Earlier on Tuesday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also signalled a possible breakthrough in talks with Iran, saying that there is a chance that an agreement could be reached "today or tomorrow" to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and move towards a more normalised situation in the ongoing conflict. He made the remarks in an interview to CNBC.
"We've seen President Trump last week threatened what would have been one of the largest military campaigns since World War II against the Iranians. Because of that, we are in talks with the Iranians and I think there is a chance we may have a deal today or tomorrow to open the Strait and move towards a more normalised position in this conflict," Bessent told CNBC.
The positive turn towards diplomacy comes after Washington's slew of heightened rhetoric amid continued hostilities with Tehran.
Earlier on Monday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian asserted that Tehran is not interested in stoking regional conflict, while making it clear that the nation will uncompromisingly safeguard its sovereignty.
His remarks come after US President Donald Trump on Monday (local time) said that Iran has been given a "last chance" to reach an agreement, claiming that Washington paused a planned military strike after receiving requests from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, and Iran to pursue diplomacy instead.
Claiming that negotiations were underway at Iran's request, Trump had said, "We are talking right now, we're talking and we're talking at the request of Iran, backed by Saudi Arabia, backed by UAE, and backed by Qatar in particular, but others also. Many countries called... they all wanted to give this a last chance."
— ANI
Reader Comments
Every time Trump talks about "last chances" and "largest military campaigns," the whole world holds its breath. We have millions of Indians working in the Gulf region. Any conflict there directly affects their safety and our remittances. Really hope these drafts turn into a real agreement soon.
The Strait of Hormuz is basically the world's oil lifeline. If it gets closed, our petrol prices will skyrocket faster than you can say "inflation." So this news is very relevant for us in India. Qatar and Oman doing serious mediation work while everyone else just makes noise.
"Very progressive stages" but also "not direct talks" - that's diplomatic speak for "we're still far apart but don't want to admit it." Still, even indirect talks are better than bombs. The Gulf countries clearly don't want another war in their neighborhood.
I wish our own news channels would focus on such diplomatic efforts instead of just sensationalizing every statement. This is genuinely important for us - a war between US and Iran would mean higher fuel prices, economic instability, and potential security threats to the region. Let's hope the mediators succeed. 🙏
Interesting that Trump says Iran requested talks but Iran hasn't confirmed that. Classic negotiation tactic - each side trying to save face. Regardless, as someone who follows international affairs, I think Qatar's role here is underappreciated. They've become the go-to mediator in the region.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.