Iranian negotiators leave Doha talks as draft proposal for US deal circulates

Iranian negotiators have left Doha, where they held talks with Qatari mediators on ending the war with the United States, and a draft proposal for a possible deal is now being passed around, an official briefed on the discussions told Reuters on Monday.

According to the official, the delegation departed on Sunday, and the exit did not stem from trouble in the negotiations. The official offered no details about what the draft contains, but said a follow-up meeting could take place.

Tehran’s stated basis

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, said the discussions are built on a seven-step plan that Tehran drew up in September. The plan is meant to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and bring an end to the US naval blockade of Iran. Iran is now suggesting that, under an agreement, the steps could be carried out on a quicker schedule.

Baghaei said Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi had been in the Qatari capital to help exchange messages with Washington through Qatari intermediaries. Doha has therefore served as a channel rather than a venue for direct contact, as Baghaei described it.

The spokesperson insisted that Iran’s demands have been set out clearly and are reasonable. “No final agreement can be initiated, nor can the Strait of Hormuz be reopened or secured, unless the US naval blockade is brought to an end,” he said, adding that Tehran’s demands and legitimate requirements must be respected.

On Saturday, Al Jazeera quoted Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi as saying that, under a deal, the strait could be opened within two days, rather than the seven days first envisaged. Reuters noted that US President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s original proposal.

The shadow of the midterms

The latest diplomatic round comes amid worries that the conflict could flare again once the United States holds its midterm elections on Tuesday. Asked how Tehran views the vote, Baghaei said Iran did not expect the elections to “give birth to a new US.”

Trump has said Washington would not launch fresh attacks on Iran before the election and has described the talks with Tehran as productive. He has not, however, excluded further military action, Reuters reported.

What remains unclear

Much is still unknown. The official did not describe the draft proposal, and there is no word on when a follow-up meeting might be held or where. It is also unclear whether Washington will accept the faster timeline that Tehran is now proposing, or how it will respond to Iran’s insistence that the blockade must end before any final agreement can begin.