Iran receives US feedback on seven-day trust-building plan, main issue is sequencing

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi received US feedback via Qatari mediators in Doha on Tuesday on a seven-day trust-building plan. The main sticking point is the sequencing of steps, not the components. Araghchi is expected to discuss the US response in Tehran on Wednesday. The plan aims to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restore maritime passage, but US President Donald Trump rejected the initial proposal, prompting further mediation.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi received US feedback via Qatari mediators in Doha on Tuesday on a seven-day plan aimed at building trust between Washington and Tehran. The main sticking point is the sequencing of the steps rather than the components of the plan, according to an official briefed on the talks. Araghchi is expected to discuss the US response in Tehran on Wednesday. Iran last week presented the seven-day proposal under which Araghchi said the Strait of Hormuz could be reopened and normal maritime passage restored if the necessary conditions were met. US President Donald Trump subsequently rejected the proposal, prompting further Qatari mediation. The Qatari mediators conveyed the feedback they had received from Washington on Monday, meeting Araghchi and his team on their way back from the United States. The document being circulated outlines a seven-day period of trust-building aimed at returning the two sides to an enhanced version of the memorandum of understanding agreed in June, including concrete steps on Iran's nuclear program. Qatar has been shuttling messages between Washington and Tehran in an effort to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.