Dubai, UAE — US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that negotiations with Iran were progressing well after technical talks in Qatar concluded with an agreement to establish a direct communication channel to report and document violations of the two sides’ initial memorandum of understanding.
“The denuclearisation of Iran is moving along well,” Trump told reporters before departing Washington, adding that the two sides had held “very good meetings” and were “getting along very well.”
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, who led Tehran’s delegation in Doha, said negotiators agreed to set up the hotline by Thursday as part of efforts to implement the June memorandum brokered by Qatar and Pakistan. The channel will be used to report ceasefire violations and address implementation disputes.
Implementing the ceasefire framework
The Doha technical meetings focused on carrying out the memorandum, which includes a 60-day ceasefire, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, phased sanctions relief and negotiations toward a broader settlement covering Iran’s nuclear programme.
Gharibabadi said discussions also addressed frozen Iranian assets, with officials agreeing that part of an initial $6 billion allocation would be used to purchase goods needed by Iran.
Qatar continued to mediate the process, although Tehran maintained that no direct negotiations took place with U.S. officials.
Security concerns remain
The talks came despite continued regional tensions following recent exchanges of fire in the Gulf.
Iran warned it would respond immediately to any new threats against its leadership, while shipping organisations extended the Strait of Hormuz’s designation as a war-risk area and European aviation authorities maintained advisories against flying over parts of the region.
Markets nevertheless took encouragement from the continuation of diplomacy, with oil prices easing ahead of the Doha discussions.
