Two U.S. envoys arrived in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday. Their mission is to engage in discussions with mediators about the initial steps to end the war in Iran. Steve Witkoff, the U.S. President Donald Trump’s special Mideast envoy, and Jared Kushner, his son-in-law, went to Qatar after tensions in the Persian Gulf and America’s efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz for shipping.
The talks in Qatar’s capital, Doha, will not involve direct negotiations between the U.S. envoys and Iranian diplomats. Instead, mediators will act as intermediaries. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Majed al-Ansari, confirmed that no high-ranking officials will participate in these talks.
Indirect negotiations between Iran and the U.S. have happened before. Previous discussions faltered, leading to the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran in 2025 and the recent Iran war. Al-Ansari mentioned that technical meetings continue without any high-level Iranian attendance.
This week, Iran is also sending a delegation to Qatar. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei stated on Tuesday that Iran is not scheduling any meetings with American representatives soon. However, discussions with the Qatari side are planned to discuss parts of a memorandum of understanding, including the release of Iran’s blocked assets. It remains possible for messages to be relayed between the parties via Qataris.
Earlier in the month, the U.S. and Iran agreed on an interim deal. This agreement requires Tehran to dilute its enriched uranium stockpiles, removes U.S.-backed oil sanctions, and allows free passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Both nations have 60 days to discuss broader agreements. The strait previously facilitated shipping for a fifth of the world’s oil before the conflict began on February 28.
Iran’s threats and attacks had halted cargo ships and tankers, causing a global energy crisis. Efforts to open Oman’s territorial waters in the strait for ship traffic from the Persian Gulf led to exchanged strikes last week. This raised concerns about potential disruptions in negotiations to formally end the war.
Iran attacked vessels in the strait twice, including a tanker with Qatari crude. These actions prompted retaliatory airstrikes from America. Furthermore, Iran conducted drone and missile strikes against Bahrain and Kuwait.
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