A diplomatic source familiar with the negotiations has revealed that the United States and Iran are nearing a potential breakthrough in efforts to end the war, with Iran showing willingness to discuss nuclear program-related matters that were previously off the agenda.
The diplomat stated that Iran is examining a proposal put forward by chief mediator Qatar regarding its nuclear activities. Any concession on this issue could propel the negotiations toward significant progress — talks have been at a standstill since a temporary peace agreement brokered in June collapsed.
US President Donald Trump recently held a phone call with Qatari leaders to discuss efforts to de-escalate tensions, signaling his desire to bring the war to an end — a conflict that helped propel Democrats to a sweeping victory over his Republican Party in this week's US midterm elections.
The Qatari Emir's office said on Friday that Trump and Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani discussed Qatar's efforts to bridge the gap between the warring parties and facilitate a comprehensive agreement to end the conflict.
The war was launched when Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered strikes on Iran in late February, triggering retaliation by the Islamic Republic against US allies across the Middle East and causing energy prices to surge and global inflation to rise.
Negotiations to end the war have repeatedly broken down, with Iran demanding that the US lift its naval blockade on Iranian ports and raising several other conditions for concessions.
Trump has long stated that the primary objective of the war was to prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons, but since the conflict erupted, little has been known about the scale of the country's nuclear activities.
While Iran has consistently maintained that its nuclear work is strictly for non-military purposes, any commitment allowing greater transparency could be sufficient to push the peace process forward. Multiple media outlets have previously reported on Iran's willingness to compromise on the nuclear issue.
Ahead of Tuesday's US midterm elections, Qatari officials had been shuttling between Doha and Tehran to finalize a potential agreement. In those elections, Democrats defeated Trump's Republican Party by a landslide, seizing control of Congress.
One of the reasons for the electoral reversal was public opposition to the war, partly due to its impact on gasoline prices. After the vote, Trump indicated he had no plans for new strikes on Iran, and oil prices subsequently declined.
Brent crude fell below $100 per barrel for the first time since September, as investors bet that the Democratic sweep reduced the likelihood of a full resumption of hostilities — which Trump had repeatedly threatened before the vote.
In other recent diplomatic developments, according to a statement posted on the Iranian Foreign Minister's official Telegram channel, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held separate phone calls with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Qatar on Thursday, discussing "efforts aimed at achieving regional stability." He also held calls with the foreign ministers of the UAE, Turkey, Kuwait, Cyprus, and Jordan.
According to a statement published on the Russian presidential website, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Mohsen Rezaei met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
Iran's official media IRIB reported that Rezaei delivered a letter from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei to Putin, but no further details were disclosed.
Comments