As delegations gather in Qatar for talks, US claims attacks on targets in southern Iran

DOHA — An Iranian delegation has traveled to Qatar as Tehran and the United States strive to agree on a deal to end a war that is roiling the global economy, hours before the US military announced what it said were “self-defense strikes” in southern Iran. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati were in Doha on Monday evening to discuss sticking points related to the potential deal to end the nearly three-month US-Israel war on Iran..“There were some talks going on in Qatar today, so we’ll see if we can make progress,” Rubio said while visiting Jaipur, India, on Tuesday. “I think it’s a lot of talking back and forth going on about specific language in the initial document, so it’ll take a few days. The president’s expressed his desire to make it. He’s either going to make a good deal or no deal,” Rubio said. American military forces conducted what US Central Command said were “self-defense strikes” in southern Iran on Monday “to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces.” The targets included missile launch sites and Iranian boats trying to place mines, Capt. Tim Hawkins, a Central Command spokesman, said in a statement. A senior US military official said Iranian surface-to-air missiles threatened some of the nearly two dozen US Navy warships — including two aircraft carriers and their escort vessels — in the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea enforcing a blockade against vessels trying to enter or leave Iranian ports. The official added that the US strikes hit near Bandar Abbas, a major port and Iranian navy base. The talks in Qatar come after US President Donald Trump said earlier on Monday that an agreement with Iran must be “meaningful,” threatening that the alternative is “no deal”. That came days after Trump had claimed that an agreement with Tehran had been “largely negotiated” as both sides continue to express erratic sentiment regarding progress. Washington and Tehran have observed a ceasefire since April 8, while mediators push for a negotiated settlement. However, Iran has continued to block the Strait of Hormuz to most shipping, and the US is imposing a blockade on Iran’s ports. Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Iran and the US “have reached a conclusion on a large portion of the discussion topics”, but warned that “this does not mean that the signing of an agreement is imminent.” Addressing a news conference in Tehran, Baghaei also emphasized that at this stage, Iran and the US have not been “talking about the nuclear issue” and their focus is “on ending the war”, which began on February 28. The Iranian official reiterated that there are, however, “no guarantees” that the US would honor its commitments in any potential deal and said Tehran does not care about “threats”. On Sunday, Trump wrote on Truth Social ⁠⁠that the US blockade would “remain in full force and effect until an agreement is reached, certified, and signed”. “Both sides must take their time and get it right,” he added. A senior Trump administration official told the Reuters news agency early on Monday that Iran had agreed “in principle” to dispose of its highly enriched uranium and open the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the US lifting its naval blockade. Japan’s Nikkei reported ‌on late on Monday that discussions over a plan to open the vital waterway, through which around one-fifth of the globe’s oil and gas exportsare usually shipped, were still ongoing. According to an unnamed Middle Eastern diplomatic source, Iran would clear mines from the strait during a 30-day window following an agreement, after which ships from all countries would be able to navigate freely and safely, and Iran would stop collecting transit fees, Nikkei said. The Japanese outlet reported that the latest discussions would see the ceasefire extended for 60 days, during which talks on Iran’s nuclear programme would be held. The US official said Washington envisioned first reopening the strait and lifting the US naval blockade. The US official quoted by Reuters appeared to largely agree with that schedule, noting that negotiating the details of the nuclear measures would take more time. However, he pushed back on suggestions that Iran had not accepted disposing of its stockpiled enriched uranium. “It’s a question about how,” the official said. Iran’s Central Bank governor is also in the delegation in Qatar, which suggests there is movement and discussion about the unfreezing of assets, a core demand for Iranians. Ahead of the Iranian delegation’s arrival in Qatar, officials from key mediator Pakistan were in China on Monday. Military chief Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif were in Beijing for talks with Chinese leaders, Pakistan television showed. China has said it would work with Pakistan to “make positive contributions to the early restoration of peace and stability in the Middle East”. Munir was in Tehran last week with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi as part of mediation efforts to end the war.