US President Donald Trump says significant progress has been made in talks with Iran held through Qatari mediation, and that a peace agreement between the two countries is now possible.

Trump said Iran wanted to reach an understanding as soon as possible and that an agreement between the two countries could be concluded, Hiru News reported, describing three days of secret talks brokered by Qatar.

Vice-President JD Vance struck a similar note. Al Jazeera reported him saying Washington had held “a number of good conversations with the Iranians”, that “we’ve certainly made some progress”, and that “we’re going to keep on working at it”. Trump posted on Truth Social that Iran wanted a settlement “as soon as possible”, adding: “It could happen!”

No final agreement has been reached. Further discussions are expected on Iran’s nuclear programme and on US sanctions, Hiru said, citing foreign media.

How the two accounts differ

Hiru characterises the contacts as three days of secret talks mediated by Qatar. Al Jazeera’s reporting describes something narrower: indirect talks facilitated by Qatar and Pakistan, with no duration given for the current round. Neither of Al Jazeera’s filings carries the three-day figure, and this desk could not corroborate it. The distinction between secret direct negotiations and mediated indirect ones is substantive, and readers should treat the three-day characterisation as Hiru’s alone.

Tehran’s position

Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has set conditions for any deal: lifting the naval blockade, repealing sanctions, a guarantee that strikes will cease, and a regional ceasefire. Tehran’s seven-step plan — which includes swiftly reopening the Strait of Hormuz and returning to nuclear talks — could now be implemented in two days rather than the seven originally proposed, Araghchi said.

By Tuesday, Al Jazeera’s live coverage reported Tehran saying the “ball is in the US court” while insisting Washington lift the blockade before any agreement.

The war has not paused

The diplomacy is running alongside continued fighting. Al Jazeera reported on Tuesday that the US carried out what it called “defensive” strikes on Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz, and that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said two crude oil tankers caught fire after striking sea mines there.

This follows a volatile fortnight in the strait, where this desk reported 25 crew rescued from a tanker off Oman and, more recently, Trump saying the war would end soon.

What this resolves from earlier reporting

On 1 November this desk reported an Iranian deputy speaker saying the door to nuclear talks with the US was closed, while noting that Al Jazeera’s same-day coverage described Qatari mediation still under way. This week’s reporting settles that tension in favour of the mediation track: negotiations did continue, through intermediaries, despite the parliamentary rhetoric.

Sources