UNIPA News(DOHA ) 2 July- The United States and Iran made progress during separate meetings with Qatari and Pakistani mediators in Qatar on Wednesday and agreed to resume negotiations after the funeral of Iran’s former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to Qatari officials.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Majed al-Ansari, said the discussions produced “positive progress” and that the next round of talks would take place “at the earliest possible time” following Khamenei’s funeral, which is scheduled to begin on Saturday in Tehran.
The US delegation was led by Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and included Jared Kushner, while Iran’s team was headed by senior negotiator Kazem Gharibabadi.
The discussions focused on advancing an interim maritime agreement intended to create conditions for a broader political settlement. However, significant differences remain over the future status of the Strait of Hormuz and issues related to the conflict in Lebanon.
The sensitivity of the Strait of Hormuz issue was underscored on Wednesday when Iranian state television reported that a foreign container vessel had run aground while using what Tehran described as an unauthorized route through the waterway. Iranian authorities did not identify the vessel or provide additional details.
The incident came amid competing claims over navigation rights in the strategic passage, which carries a substantial share of global oil and natural gas shipments. Iran maintains it has authority over shipping routes in the strait, while many countries regard the waterway as an international passage.
According to the reported framework under discussion, Iran and the United States have agreed in principle to allow vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz without charges for an initial 60-day period. However, Tehran has proposed retaining control over shipping routes and introducing transit fees after that period, a proposal opposed by the United States and several Gulf Arab states.
Efforts by Oman and a United Nations agency to establish an alternative shipping route closer to Oman’s coastline have also added to regional tensions following attacks reported across the Middle East last weekend.
