Vance: Room for Agreement with Iran... Conditional on Good Conduct and Fulfillment of Commitments
Amid regional and international aspirations to de-escalate tensions in the region, Doha is intensifying its diplomatic efforts to break the current deadlock and rescue the stalled negotiation process between the United States and Iran. This comes as U.S.-Iranian positions and statements continue to oscillate between contradiction and inconsistency, signaling that both sides are struggling to reach at least a “common ground” on key files of the crisis, foremost among them the Strait of Hormuz and the nuclear dossier.
In Doha, Majid Al-Ansari, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a press conference that Qatari mediation efforts between the United States and Iran are ongoing.
He clarified that the current activity involves conveying messages between the American and Iranian sides, confirming that meetings are continuing and noting that “the effort is currently focused on building a common ground between the American and Iranian sides.”
He stressed that Qatar sees no solution to the crisis other than a peaceful one, emphasizing the necessity of respecting infrastructure facilities in the region, and adding that any threat to them constitutes a violation of international law.
Qatar-Pakistan mediation efforts between Iran and the United States resumed a few days ago, with reports indicating that meetings were held in this context in New York, attended by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
In an interview with Al Jazeera in New York, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian confirmed that Qatar and Pakistan are mediating between Tehran and Washington, conveying Iran’s messages to the United States.
In contrast to statements made by U.S. officials on Monday evening, President Donald Trump denied having offered Iran any easing of sanctions or release of its frozen funds as part of ongoing efforts to reach an agreement between Washington and Tehran.
Trump wrote on the Truth Social platform that “this is not true. I offered them nothing,” following reports by Axios, citing officials, that the president was prepared to ease sanctions on Iran in exchange for concrete steps regarding its nuclear program.
Trump’s denial came as mediators continued their moves to revive negotiations between Washington and Tehran, amid disagreements over the issues that should be included in any potential agreement.
Trump himself had previously announced that U.S. officials held talks on Monday with mediators seeking to end the war between the United States and Iran.
In remarks made by U.S. Vice President JD Vance, he said there is room to reach an agreement with Iran, but he stressed that this requires Iran’s commitment to good behavior and fulfillment of its commitments.
He added, “We are negotiating based on actions, not words, and this will determine how we deal with Iran over the next two months. We believe the Supreme Leader (Mojtaba Khamenei) is still alive, but he is not involved in day-to-day affairs.”
As Iran awaits the U.S. response to its recent proposals, it has warned against continuing to prevent it from selling oil.
Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, said that failing to guarantee the security of his country means that no infrastructure in the region will be safe from attacks.
Qalibaf, who also serves as Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, said in a video broadcast by Iranian state television, “In a region where we cannot sell oil, no other party will be able to sell oil either. And if our security is not guaranteed, no infrastructure will remain safe.”
