Despite the preconditions for direct talks, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Iraq's Al Ekhbariya television that indirect negotiations with Washington continue through intermediaries including Pakistan and Qatar. Araghchi said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed absent an agreement, noting that Tehran had proposed a seven day initiative to fully reopen the waterway on the sixth day and that the US had agreed to the terms before seeking to add other provisions. He added that the US must fulfill its commitments under an earlier Islamabad memorandum before talks can advance, while Munir announced that the Iran-Pakistan border had reopened following technical disruptions.
Munir departed Tehran after the meetings without an announced breakthrough, even as conflicting reports emerged over Qatari mediation. Iran's Nour News reported that a Qatari delegation arrived in Tehran shortly before Munir left and departed less than an hour later, while the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news agency cited an informed source denying that any Qatari delegation had traveled to Iran or been planned. Earlier Tuesday, a diplomat involved in the talks denied an Al-Araby Al-Jadeed report that the US and Iran had backed a Qatari-Pakistani proposal exchanging secret IAEA inspections for the interest on $6 billion in frozen Iranian funds in Qatar, a rumor that briefly sent Brent crude down nearly 5% to $108 and WTI to $96 before prices rebounded.