Iran Rejects Direct Talks with US, Opts for Qatari Mediation

Washington - Iran has refused to hold direct negotiations with the United States in Doha, but has continued indirect talks through Qatari mediation over the past two days, Axios reported on Wednesday. The Axios report, citing several US officials, revealed that Washington had hoped recent American strikes against Iran would prompt Tehran to respond more swiftly to President Donald Trump’s offer. “The deal is still on the table, but the president is prepared to make Iran pay a price if they continue to delay and stall for time,” a US official said, as quoted by the outlet. Earlier the same day, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Iran had postponed talks and now Tehran “must pay the price.” The statement followed an announcement by Central Command that US forces had conducted strikes against Iran in response to an attack on Apache helicopters. Meanwhile, the ISNA news agency reported that a Qatari delegation had arrived in Tehran for discussions aimed at ending the conflict between Iran and the US. On 28 February, the US and Israel launched strikes on targets in Iran, including in Tehran, causing damage and civilian casualties. Iran responded by attacking Israeli territory and US military facilities in the Middle East. Subsequently, on 7 April, Washington and Tehran announced a ceasefire. Further talks held in Islamabad ended without a breakthrough. Currently, a negotiation process is ongoing between Iran and the United States, with the latest efforts focused on finalising a memorandum of understanding framework. At the same time, both parties occasionally launch isolated strikes against one another.