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Mediators from Qatar and Pakistan completed separate meetings with U.S. and Iranian negotiators in Doha on Wednesday, reporting positive progress on implementing the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding ahead of further discussions after the funeral of Iran’s former supreme leader, according to a Qatari official.
The development follows a ceasefire that put an end to months of direct conflict between the United States and Iran earlier this year.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry and Pakistani officials said the meetings represented progress from the Lake Lucerne Summit held in Switzerland in June.
“The parties agreed to continue discussions over the coming period, with the next meeting to be scheduled at the earliest possible time following the funeral processions of the former Iranian Supreme Leader,” Qatar and Pakistan’s joint statement said, according to a post on X by Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Dr. Majed Al Ansari.
The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, which was signed in mid-June, detailed steps to limit hostilities, reopen key shipping lanes such as the Strait of Hormuz, and address facets of Iran’s nuclear program via future technical talks.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif played a significant mediating role in the agreement, which represents a step toward the end of active fighting.
Wednesday’s meetings took place shortly after mourning periods over the death of Iran’s longtime supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a U.S.-Israeli strike in late February, an event that triggered widespread regional reverberations and celebrations in parts of Iran while prompting retaliatory actions and further strikes.
Qatar, which hosts a major U.S. military base and upholds relationships across the region, and Pakistan, with its own interests at stake, have been facilitating talks to end a conflict centered on Iran’s nuclear program and its funding of terrorist groups in the region.
High-level U.S. officials have been involved with the talks, such as Vice President JD Vance in prior sessions, amid ongoing concerns about full implementation of the memorandum. Technical-level discussions have focused on sanctions relief, asset releases, and mechanisms to prevent renewed hostilities.
The next round of talks is likely to happen soon, though no specific date has been announced pending the conclusion of funeral observances.
Regional players, including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt, have supported the mediation framework.
Kimberly Hayek is a reporter for The Epoch Times. She covers California news and has worked as an editor and on scene at the U.S.-Mexico border during the 2018 migrant caravan crisis.
