US and Iranian officials meet again, still no deal on Hormuz dispute
Qatar's prime minister sat in for most of a pre-planned session between US representatives and Araghchi's Iranian team, US sources tell Israel Hayom.
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Map: The Gulf and Hormuz, marking Strait of Hormuz
US representatives and a team led by Iranian foreign minister Araghchi held a pre-planned meeting on Tuesday, with Qatar's prime minister present for most of it, according to US sources cited by Israel Hayom. The two sides discussed resuming broader talks and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, but reached no agreement on the disputes that have kept the two countries apart.
President Trump said the meeting was very productive and that another session is scheduled soon. He said a US official spent three hours with Iran's delegation and that the talks went very well, adding that envoy Witkoff felt very good about them.
The Strait of Hormuz remains the sharpest point of friction. Iran's parliament has proposed a 20% fine for vessels that breach its Hormuz transit rules, and Iranian officials have said ships will be detained until the fee is paid. In response, the United States has proposed a $10 billion fund with Arab allies to build routes that bypass the strait. Iran will also halt flights from Tehran to Baghdad and Muscat starting Wednesday, though international routes such as Istanbul are unaffected, and an Iranian official said the country is ready for escalation if it faces aggression. EU foreign policy chief Kallas also met with Araghchi on Tuesday as diplomatic contacts with Iran widen beyond Washington.
Tuesday's outcome fits the pattern of recent months: meetings continue but produce no movement on the core disputes. That leaves the situation in stasis rather than moving toward de-escalation, even as Trump describes the talks in optimistic terms.