Iran says contacts over ending war continue as talks end with no breakthrough
USO•Iran said contacts with the United States to end the war were continuing after talks with Qatari mediators ended without a breakthrough. Oil prices fell nearly 4% on hopes for a diplomatic solution, while Iranian sources said they considered a new US attack more likely than a deal.
1. Talks continue through mediators
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the two sides were exchanging messages through mediators and that Iran’s seven-step proposal remained the basis for discussions. He said Iran had condensed the proposal so it could be implemented within two days, but its underlying conditions had not changed: nuclear talks could resume only after Iran verified that all its conditions were met.
2. Regional risks persist
An official briefed on the talks said Iran’s negotiators left Doha on Sunday and that a draft proposal was being circulated. China called for political solutions, while Russia said reports of new military action against Iran were a cause for extreme concern. The conflict has disrupted the Strait of Hormuz and Iranian ports; oil prices fell nearly 4% on Monday, and a Qatari LNG tanker was struck in the Gulf on Friday, its operator Nakilat said.
