Iran has refused to hold direct negotiations with the United States in Doha, according to journalist Barak Ravid. Senior officials from both countries instead held separate talks over the past two days mediated by Qatar. The development follows a day of conflicting signals over the state of US-Iran diplomatic efforts.
Iran has refused to hold direct negotiations with the United States in Doha, opting instead for separate talks mediated by Qatar, according to a report by journalist Barak Ravid. Senior U.S. and Iranian officials conducted back-to-back mediated sessions over a 48-hour period, with Qatar shuttling between the two delegations.
As The Zioneer reported at 19:35 UTC on June 10, Iran's refusal to meet face-to-face had already emerged as an obstacle. The latest report confirms that despite the format dispute, indirect communication did take place — the talks were not suspended.
The development comes amid a rapidly shifting diplomatic landscape. Iran's public stance has oscillated in recent days: on June 9, an Iranian parliamentary official said Tehran is 'not in a hurry' to negotiate, while earlier last week senior figures signaled openness to talks. On June 5, negotiations appeared to collapse entirely, with Iran blaming U.S. and Israeli military operations. The current mediated format suggests both sides are maintaining a channel of communication, even without direct engagement.
The Qatari-mediated track has been the primary mechanism for US-Iran diplomacy, including past rounds that faltered over Iran's demand for cash payments and the U.S. insistence on tangible steps before any relief. The latest talks were reported by Fox News to still be ongoing as of June 10.
4 developments
- StrongIran denies planned US talks in Doha, says delegation meeting Qataris only
- DevelopingAl-Jazeera: Iran rejects idea of temporary ceasefire with US
- ConfirmedIran deputy FM: no US talks this week, denies coordination with American visit to Qatar
- StrongIran threatens to attack Israel after rejecting US ceasefire proposal, reports say
Source and signal
- Open-source intake