{"id":13157,"date":"2026-05-25T21:21:26","date_gmt":"2026-05-25T21:21:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/2026\/05\/25\/iranian-delegation-in-qatar-as-talks-on-us-ceasefire-extend-al-jazeera\/"},"modified":"2026-05-25T21:21:26","modified_gmt":"2026-05-25T21:21:26","slug":"iranian-delegation-in-qatar-as-talks-on-us-ceasefire-extend-al-jazeera","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/2026\/05\/25\/iranian-delegation-in-qatar-as-talks-on-us-ceasefire-extend-al-jazeera\/","title":{"rendered":"Iranian delegation in Qatar as talks on US ceasefire extend &#8211; Al Jazeera"},"content":{"rendered":"<div aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">\n<p>An Iranian delegation has travelled to Qatar as Tehran and the United States strive to agree on a deal to end a war that threatens to rend the Middle East and is roiling the global economy.<\/p>\n<p>Iran\u2019s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati were reported on Monday evening to be in Doha to discuss sticking points related to the potential deal to end the nearly three-month US-Israel war on Iran.<\/p>\n<section>\n<h2>Recommended Stories <\/h2>\n<p><span>list of 3 items<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span>list 1 of 3<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2026\/5\/24\/marco-rubio-says-significant-progress-made-in-us-iran-talks-to-end-war\">US says Iran deal agreed as Tehran accuses Washington of obstruction<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span>list 2 of 3<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/video\/newsfeed\/2026\/5\/24\/iran-hints-us-will-end-war-in-persian-style-peace-on-tehrans-terms\">Iran hints US will end war in \u2018Persian-style\u2019 peace on Tehran\u2019s terms<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span>list 3 of 3<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2026\/5\/24\/iran-recounts-historic-battles-in-response-to-trumps-talk-of-agreement\">Iran recounts historic battles in response to Trump\u2019s talk of agreement<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span>end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p>The talks in Qatar come after US President Donald Trump said earlier on Monday that an agreement with Iran must be \u201cmeaningful,\u201d threatening that the alternative is \u201cno deal\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>That came days after Trump had claimed that an agreement with Tehran had been \u201clargely negotiated\u201d as both sides continue to express erratic sentiment regarding progress.<\/p>\n<p>Washington and Tehran have observed a ceasefire since April 8, while mediators push for a negotiated settlement. However, Iran has continued to block the Strait of Hormuz to most shipping, and the US is imposing a blockade on Iran\u2019s ports.<\/p>\n<p>Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Iran and the US \u201chave reached a conclusion on a large portion of the discussion topics\u201d, but warned that \u201cthis does not mean that the signing of an agreement is imminent.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Addressing a news conference in Tehran, Baghaei also emphasised that at this stage, Iran and the US have not been \u201ctalking about the nuclear issue\u201d and their focus is \u201con ending the war\u201d, which began on February 28.<\/p>\n<p>The Iranian official reiterated that there are, however, \u201cno guarantees\u201d that the US would honour its commitments in any potential deal and said Tehran does not care about \u201cthreats\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington would either secure a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/liveblog\/2026\/5\/24\/live-trump-says-iran-deal-not-fully-negotiated-yet\">strong agreement with Iran<\/a> or confront the country \u201canother way\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe thought we might have some news last night, maybe today. I wouldn\u2019t read too much into it,\u201d Rubio said on Monday while visiting New Delhi.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have what I think is a pretty solid thing on the table in terms of their ability to open up the strait, get the strait open,\u201d he told reporters.<\/p>\n<p>On Sunday, Trump wrote on Truth Social \u2060\u2060that the US blockade would \u201cremain in full force and effect until an agreement is reached, certified, and signed\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBoth sides must take their time and get it right,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"confidence-building\">Confidence building<\/h2>\n<p>Omar Rahman, fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, said the Iranian delegation\u2019s presence in Qatar was a \u201cgood sign\u201d, but noted that the lack of agreement on issues, including the Strait of Hormuz, remains a major obstacle.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIran has found a tremendous amount of leverage and power through its de facto control of the global economy,\u201d he told Al Jazeera.<\/p>\n<p>A senior Trump administration official told the Reuters news agency early on Monday that Iran had agreed \u201cin principle\u201d to dispose of its highly enriched uranium and open the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the US lifting its naval blockade.<\/p>\n<p>Japan\u2019s Nikkei reported \u200con late on Monday that discussions over a plan to open the vital waterway, through which around one-fifth of the globe\u2019s oil and gas exports\u00a0 are usually shipped, were still ongoing.<\/p>\n<p>According to an unnamed Middle Eastern diplomatic source, Iran would clear mines from the strait during a 30-day window following an agreement, after which ships from all countries would be able to navigate freely and safely, and Iran would stop collecting transit fees, Nikkei said.<\/p>\n<p>The Japanese outlet reported that the latest discussions would see the ceasefire extended for 60 days, during which talks on Iran\u2019s nuclear programme would be held.<\/p>\n<p>Al Jazeera could not independently verify this report, but sources have reported that discussions on issues further than the ceasefire and strait, including Iran\u2019s enriched uranium, will have to wait, while the focus remains on confidence-building measures.<\/p>\n<p>The US official said Washington envisioned first reopening the strait and lifting the US naval blockade. The US official quoted by Reuters appeared to largely agree with that schedule, noting that negotiating the details of the nuclear measures would take more time.<\/p>\n<p>However, they pushed back on suggestions that Iran had not accepted disposing of its stockpiled enriched uranium. \u201cIt\u2019s a question about how,\u201d the official said.<\/p>\n<p>Iran\u2019s Central Bank governor is also in the delegation in Qatar, which suggests there is movement and discussion about the unfreezing of assets, a core demand for Iranians, Al Jazeera\u2019s Almigdad Alruhaid said, reporting from Tehran.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"points-of-contention\">Points of contention<\/h2>\n<p>Ahead of the Iranian delegation\u2019s arrival in Qatar, officials from key mediator Pakistan were in China on Monday.<\/p>\n<p>Military chief Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif were in Beijing for talks with Chinese leaders, Pakistan television showed.<\/p>\n<p>China has said it would work with Pakistan to \u201cmake positive contributions to the early restoration of peace and stability in the Middle East\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Munir was in Tehran last week with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi as part of mediation efforts to end the war.<\/p>\n<p>Charles Kupchan, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, said the back-and-forth between the US and Iran means a deal will not likely be agreed anytime soon.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think this is kind of par for the course for the Trump administration. One day, they walk this way. The next day, they walk that way,\u201d he told Al Jazeera.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPart of the conversations are private. Part of it is public diplomacy, but until we have a concrete sense that the Iranians are likely to say \u2018yes\u2019 to getting rid of their highly enriched uranium \u2026 and to opening this Strait of Hormuz with no restrictions, I think one can say that we\u2019re still far away from a lasting deal.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"abraham-accords-demand\">Abraham Accords demand<\/h2>\n<p>While Trump has noted that no deal is imminent, he is demanding that Muslim-majority countries across the Middle East and beyond sign up to the Abraham Accords to normalise relations with Israel as part of an agreement with Iran.<\/p>\n<p>In a lengthy note posted on social media on Monday, the US president asserted that those countries whose leaders he spoke with on Saturday \u2013 including Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye \u2013 should sign up.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI stated that, after all the work done by the United States \u2060to try and pull \u2060this very complex puzzle together, it should be mandatory that all of these Countries, at a minimum, simultaneously, \u2060sign onto the Abraham Accords,\u201d Trump wrote.<\/p>\n<p>The Abraham Accords normalised ties between Israel and four Arab states \u2013 the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco \u2013 when signed in 2020.<\/p>\n<p>While hailed by Washington as a diplomatic breakthrough, the agreements face sustained criticism for sidelining the question of a Palestinian state, and public opposition across the region remains significant.<\/p>\n<p>Trump left some room for exceptions, saying one or two countries with valid reasons would be excused, but warned that any nation unwilling to sign was signalling \u201cbad intention\u201d and would be cut out of the deal.<\/p>\n<p>Saudi Arabia and Qatar should move immediately to sign the accords, Trump said, with all others to follow suit.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An Iranian delegation has travelled to Qatar as Tehran and the United States strive to agree on a deal to end a war that threatens to rend the Middle East and is roiling the global economy. Iran\u2019s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati were reported on [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13158,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13157","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13157","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13157"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13157\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13158"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13157"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13157"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13157"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}