Trump says Iran nuclear talks making progress as US and Tehran discuss ceasefire deal in Qatar

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday welcomed the progress made in indirect talks between the United States and Iran in Qatar, as both sides worked to advance negotiations and reduce tensions after recent military exchanges.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, who led Tehran’s delegation, said the discussions had concluded with an agreement to set up a communication channel by Thursday to monitor and document any violations of an initial memorandum of understanding.

Iran had maintained that there would be no direct talks with the US in Doha over the agreement aimed at ending the conflict that began after US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February.

Speaking before boarding Air Force One, Trump said efforts toward limiting Iran’s nuclear programme were progressing.

“As far as things are going, the denuclearization of Iran is moving along well,” Trump told reporters. “We hit them very hard … but we’re getting along very well.”

The memorandum, brokered by Qatar and Pakistan and finalised at a summit in Lucerne, Switzerland, last month, includes a 60-day ceasefire, reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and a roadmap for a broader agreement covering the war and Iran’s nuclear activities.

Talks focus on implementation

The Qatar discussions were held at a technical level and aimed at building on progress made during the Lake Lucerne Summit, a diplomat told AFP.

However, Tehran rejected Trump’s earlier suggestion that the negotiations would be direct. Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said Iran had “no plans for negotiations with the American side at any level over the coming days.”

Gharibabadi said the talks also addressed frozen Iranian assets, with Tehran seeking the release of funds as part of any broader settlement. He added that officials discussed the use of part of an initial $6 billion allocation to purchase and provide essential goods for Iran.

US representatives Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff did not participate in the technical talks but held meetings with Qatar’s leadership, including Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani and Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Analyst Anna Jacobs of the Arab Gulf States Institute said the negotiations remained at an early stage, with disagreements continuing behind the scenes.

“The overall positive message is that they are continuing to engage after the clashes last week,” she said.

Ceasefire faces challenges

Despite the agreement, tensions have continued, highlighting the difficulty of transforming the initial truce into a long-term settlement.

Iran recently targeted a commercial vessel it accused of violating its approved route through the Strait of Hormuz, after which the US Central Command said it had carried out strikes on 10 Iranian military targets.

Iran later launched attacks on US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, actions condemned by both Gulf nations.

Iran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said implementation challenges were expected after a conflict of such scale, especially involving issues linked to Israel.

He said Iran’s delegation in Doha would focus on provisions related to the Strait of Hormuz and the fighting in Lebanon.

The exchange of attacks appeared to have reduced ahead of the Qatar talks, with oil prices declining as markets reacted positively to continued diplomatic engagement between Washington and Tehran.

Meanwhile, fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon has also remained relatively calm. Hezbollah, backed by Iran, had widened the regional conflict in March by launching rockets at Israel, prompting Israeli airstrikes and a ground offensive.

Iran has said any final agreement must also address the Lebanon conflict and include the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon.