Repeated clashes are affecting the ceasefire agreement between the US and Iran; In this environment, on Wednesday, July 1, representatives of both the countries held separate meetings in Doha, the capital of Qatar. Qatar and Pakistan played the role of mediator in these talks. Qatar said good progress had been made and both sides agreed to continue talks. However, many such statements have come to light which reveal deep mistrust between the two countries.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid al-Ansari said the next meeting would take place as soon as possible after the funeral of Iran’s late former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The funeral process is to begin on Saturday in Tehran. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a US-Israeli attack on the first day of the war.
The US was represented at the meetings in Doha by Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff and US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. The purpose of these meetings is to find a way to end the war permanently. Kazem Gharibabadi served as the chief negotiator from Iran’s side. They are working on finalizing the finer and important points of the agreement so that the top leaders of both the countries can approve it. However, there are still significant differences of opinion regarding the ceasefire in the Strait of Hormuz and Lebanon.
What did America say?
While the meetings were going on, US Vice President J.D. Vance remarked that the ongoing talks with Iran in Doha are moving in a positive direction. He said that although it is still early stages, the talks are progressing well. “Technical experts from the United States, Iran, Qatar and other countries are currently in Doha discussing the finer points of the agreement,” Vance said. He further said, “We are concerned about Iran’s nuclear program. We will start discussions on that also. At the moment, talks are going well.”
What did Iran say? According to Tasnim news agency, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi said that during the Doha meeting, Iran complained about the US not fulfilling its previous promises. “At the Doha meeting, we raised the issue of the US not fulfilling its commitments on matters related to Lebanon,” he said. He also said that there were talks with Qatari authorities regarding the use of a portion of Iran’s $6 billion frozen funds.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump had said that the process of Iran’s nuclear disarmament was progressing well. However, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Iran would not allow International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors to visit nuclear sites affected by the bombing. He said that this decision has been taken under the law made by the Parliament and the Supreme National Security Council.
“It is wrong to say that IAEA inspectors will be allowed to visit bombed sites. Parliament has enacted a law and the Supreme National Security Council has approved it. Under this law, access to sites that were bombed and damaged last year is completely restricted under any circumstances. That’s the law,” Ghalibaf said in an interview with state broadcaster IRIB.