Iranian negotiators left Qatari-mediated talks in Doha on November 1 while a draft deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz circulated, and a follow-up meeting may still take place, according to Straits Times (SG).
An unnamed official said the departure was not because of difficulties in the negotiations, according to Rappler (PH). The official gave no further details on the draft and did not describe its contents, according to Straits Times.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, said the basis of the talks is a seven-step plan Iran drew up in September to reopen Hormuz and end the US naval blockade, according to Rappler. Baghaei also said Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi was in Doha to facilitate message exchanges with Washington through Qatari intermediaries, according to Straits Times.
Iran says it is considering a two-day plan to reopen Hormuz if the US accepts its conditions, according to The Hindu (IN). Iran had previously proposed a one-week timeline, the paper reported. Its demands include ending the West Asia war on all fronts, unfreezing Iranian assets abroad, lifting oil sanctions and ending the US naval blockade, according to The Hindu.
Trump said the US would not launch new attacks on Iran before the November 3 midterm elections and that the talks have been productive, according to Straits Times. He has not ruled out further military action, the same report said. Trump also said on Saturday that he still had to "take care" of one or two targets, including Pickaxe mountain, which Tehran denies is a nuclear site, according to The Hindu.
The background is a conflict that has run since the West Asia war broke out in late February. Iran has claimed control over Hormuz and regularly targets vessels crossing without its authorisation, while the US has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports, according to the reports. Reuters, as cited by Straits Times and Rappler, said Trump rejected Iran’s initial September proposal.
The reports differ on several points. The Hindu describes the September plan as a seven-day plan, while Rappler and Straits Times describe it as a seven-step plan. The date of Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s remark that Hormuz could reopen within two days under a deal is also disputed. Rappler says he made the remark on Saturday, as quoted by Al Jazeera. Straits Times says Al Jazeera quoted him on October 21. The Hindu says an Al Jazeera interview with him was released on Sunday, November 1.
Several gaps remain. No US government response to the draft proposal or to Iran’s two-day plan appears in the sources. The official briefing on the talks is unnamed, and no independent confirmation of the talks’ status beyond that official and Iranian statements has been published. No comment from the Qatari mediators appears in the sources, and only Iranian and Trump statements are reported. Rappler’s copy is marked as AI-generated, so its details have not been independently confirmed.
A follow-up meeting is possible, according to Straits Times. Iran says implementing its plan depends on US acceptance of its demands. The US midterm elections on November 3 have raised fears of renewed conflict, according to the reports.
Sources
This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.