The US and Iran have entered technical talks to secure a peace deal and restart shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, according to a source with direct knowledge of the talks and an Iranian official.
These talks, held in Doha, aim to agree on the flow of shipping through the strait and secure a lasting ceasefire.
Jared Kushner and envoy Steve Witkoff met the prime minister of Qatar to lay groundwork for the negotiations.
They would not be attending the discussions themselves, the source said.
The talks are based on a 14-point interim accord signed last month, which was meant to halt the war that began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February.
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This accord also aims to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and set up 60 days of negotiations for a permanent peace deal.
Despite this, the US and Iran have sparred publicly over the meaning of the interim pact, leading to tit-for-tat strikes over the past week.
Iran is determined to win international recognition of its control over the strait and its ability to levy fees on ships entering or leaving the Gulf.
Traffic has partially resumed through the strait, which handled one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade before the war.
Focus on Hormuz
The talks in Doha are structured as sessions between chief negotiators and specialists, the source with knowledge of the talks said. They began on Tuesday night and were continuing on Wednesday, said the Iranian official.
The current round of discussions would focus on management of the strait, the Iranian official said.
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They want to ensure the free flow of traffic through the strait, the source with knowledge of the talks said.
A foreign container ship had run aground in the Strait of Hormuz after entering shallow waters outside the shipping route designated by Iranian authorities, according to Iranian state media.
The war triggered Iranian attacks on Gulf states hosting US military bases and killed thousands of people, mainly in Iran and Lebanon.
This also pushed up oil and fuel prices, which edged higher on Wednesday after falling in previous days.
Interim Deal and Regional Conflict
The interim deal between the US and Iran also provides for an end to the conflict between Israel and Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon.
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The US has backed a separate track of talks between Israel and Lebanon’s government, which produced a framework security deal that Hezbollah has dismissed.
Analysts warn that this could entrench a stalemate in Lebanon, according to the source with knowledge of the talks.
There had been intensive diplomatic activity on Lebanon between parties including the US up to Tuesday evening.
It remains complex.
The situation involves multiple parties and a long way to go before a lasting peace deal is reached, with the US and Iran still discussing the management of the strait.
