The indirect negotiations between the United States and Iran in the capital of Qatar are yielding initial results: Sources on the Al-Arabiya network reported today (Wednesday) that an initial agreement in principle has been reached on the release of frozen Iranian assets worth $3 billion. The marathon talks in Doha are continuing through mediators, amid attempts to reach broader understandings between the countries.
According to the same sources, Tehran has set clear conditions and hardened its position regarding the mechanism for transferring the funds: the Iranians are making the release of the $3 billion step by step, tied directly to progress made across the various negotiation tracks. The report emphasizes that despite the emerging agreements on the money, the indirect talks in Doha are still ongoing and in full swing.
Apart from the financial issue, the discussions between the parties have reached a particularly sensitive stage concerning the security of navigation in the Persian Gulf region. The sources said that the current parts of the negotiations are centered around managing navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, based on a new outline and plan proposed by the Sultanate of Oman — which traditionally acts as a quiet and central mediator between Iran and the West.
Following the new Omani proposal and its implications for maritime traffic and regional security, a temporary pause in face-to-face talks in Qatar has been decided. The negotiating delegations of the two countries are expected to return to Washington and Tehran in the coming days for an urgent round of consultations with senior political echelons, with the aim of examining the details of the Omani outline and determining further steps.