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There was still hope for a deal between the US and Iran, Qatar said on Tuesday as mediators exchanged proposals in real time after talks in Tehran.
“If there were no hope, there would be no negotiations,” Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari said at a weekly briefing in Doha.
A Qatari delegation met Iranian officials for more than three hours on Monday before returning to Doha that evening, and Washington and Tehran were now reviewing proposals, Al Ansari said.
Meanwhile, Qatar was working towards an interim agreement intended to build trust and allow both sides to demonstrate they would carry out their commitments.
“Confidence is built through the process, not specific actions,” Al Ansari said, adding that an interim deal could be a first step towards lasting peace.
The ongoing war began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February, resulting in separate US and Iranian blockades of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial route for oil and gas exports.
Al Ansari also said freedom of navigation was “non-negotiable,” condemning threats to ships belonging to Qatar or other countries.
He warned that attacks on shipping and other military escalation threatened the whole region and would affect the negotiations.
Despite overnight US strikes on Iran’s Qeshm island in the Strait of Hormuz, Al Ansari said Doha was assessing the talks by the official responses to its proposals, rather than public threats and statements.
According to Al Ansari, Qatar has continued to work closely with Pakistan and coordinate with its Gulf neighbours to prevent further escalation.
Iranian officials have repeatedly said Tehran’s conditions must be met before Hormuz could reopen or nuclear talks could begin.