U.S. and Iranian officials are holding indirect, lower-level technical talks in Doha, Qatar, facilitated by mediators from Qatar and Pakistan, diplomats say. The talks focus on advancing a framework aimed at permanently ending the Middle East conflict and reducing tensions following recent exchanges of fire.
According to multiple reports, the negotiations begin after earlier announcements that the two sides would meet indirectly in Doha with Qatari and Pakistani mediation. One diplomat cited the talks as being based on a memorandum of understanding reached in June, which builds on progress from the Lake Lucerne summit. That memorandum includes a 60-day ceasefire to pause fighting that began with U.S.-Israeli strikes in late February, along with provisions related to the Strait of Hormuz.
Some reporting also indicates that senior U.S. envoys—Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff—do not participate in the technical talks. Additional coverage says the talks run over multiple days, with major questions reportedly left unresolved after the Doha round, as both sides continue efforts to implement the agreed framework.
