Mediators: Next Indirect Iran-US Talks to Resume After Funeral of Imam Khamenei

By Staff, Agencies

The next round of indirect talks between Iran and the United States will take place after the funeral ceremonies of Leader of the Islamic Revolution His Eminence Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei, mediators said, as diplomatic efforts continue following the recent regional conflict.

After indirect discussions in Doha on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump, along with mediators Qatar and Pakistan, signaled that diplomatic engagement remained on track despite recent military exchanges.

An interim understanding was reached to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz and halt hostilities, although key issues, including Iran’s peaceful nuclear program, remain to be addressed in future negotiations.

In a statement on Thursday, Pakistan said Qatari and Pakistani mediators held separate meetings with the Iranian and US delegations in Doha, describing the discussions as constructive.

Islamabad said both sides agreed to continue negotiations, with the next meeting expected to be scheduled as soon as possible following the funeral processions of Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei.

Imam Khamenei was martyred at the age of 86 at his residence in central Tehran on February 28, the first day of the war. Leadership responsibilities were subsequently assumed by his son, Ayatollah Sayyed Mojtaba Khamenei.

Public funeral ceremonies for Imam Khamenei will begin on Saturday, with his body lying in state at the major prayer complex in central Tehran before burial on July 9 near the shrine of Imam Reza [AS] in Mashhad, his birthplace.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, who headed Tehran’s delegation, said Wednesday’s talks concluded with an agreement to establish a communication channel to report and document any alleged violations of the memorandum reached between the two sides.

Tehran reiterated that there would be no direct negotiations with the United States in Doha.

Speaking before departing Washington on Wednesday, Trump said, “As far as things are going, the denuclearization of Iran is moving along well.”

“We hit them very hard... but we’re getting along very well,” he added.

According to a diplomatic source, the Doha discussions were held at the technical level and focused on implementing the memorandum reached previously at the Lake Lucerne Summit.

Iran rejected Trump’s earlier suggestion that the talks would be direct, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei stating that Tehran had “no plans for negotiations with the American side at any level over the coming days.”

Gharibabadi also said the talks addressed frozen Iranian assets, whose release Tehran considers an essential part of any lasting settlement.

He said officials reviewed the use of an initial $6 billion and agreed that necessary goods for Iran would be purchased and made available.

US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff did not participate in the technical negotiations, although they met separately with Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Since the Iran-US agreement was signed last month, tensions have continued in the Persian Gulf.

Tehran targeted a commercial vessel it said had deviated from its approved route through the Strait of Hormuz, after which US Central Command [CENTCOM] announced strikes on 10 Iranian military sites.

Iran later launched strikes against US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, prompting reactions from the two Gulf states.

CENTCOM also announced it had hosted a regional security dialogue in Bahrain involving military officials from 12 countries, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the free flow of commerce through the Strait of Hormuz.

Responding on Thursday, Gharibabadi said the strategic waterway “is defined under Iran’s command, not CENTCOM.”

“A military summit in Bahrain cannot establish legal order and security for the Persian Gulf,” he said.

“The region’s security will be ensured through the end of interventions and the US withdrawal from the area, respect for countries’ sovereignty, and acceptance of new geopolitical realities—not under the military umbrella of America.”

Iran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Tuesday that following a conflict of such magnitude, implementation challenges and disagreements were inevitable, “especially where the ‘Israeli’ regime is concerned.”

On the Lebanon front, clashes between “Israel” and Hezbollah have remained relatively limited.

Tehran has maintained that any comprehensive agreement must include an end to the conflict in Lebanon and the withdrawal of “Israeli” troops from southern Lebanese territory they continue to occupy.