00:00Qatar's foreign ministry said U.S. Envoy Steve Whitcoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Doha to meet mediators on the
00:07U.S.-Iran peace negotiations.
00:09Tehran announced that an Iranian technical team will also travel to Doha, but denied agreeing to meet U.S. counterparts
00:17at any level.
00:18The visit follows four days of reciprocal strikes over the Strait of Hormuz, which threatened to derail the peace talks.
00:27The U.S. Envoy Mr. Steve Whitcoff and Mr. Jared Kushner are here in Doha to meet with the Qatari
00:32officials,
00:33so they are not here for direct negotiations with the Iranians.
00:38The technical meetings are still happening, and mediators are working as go-betweens between the parties in the time being.
00:46We're not expecting any high-level Iranian officials at the moment.
00:50Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman Dr. Mejl Ansari said negotiations would cover the Strait of Hormuz navigation,
00:57Iran's nuclear program, and wider regional security.
01:01He added that discussions also continue over Iran's frozen assets.
01:06Regarding the frozen assets, this is part of the 2023 agreement that was under the Biden administration
01:10between the United States and Iran to move $6 billion of the frozen assets of Iran to Qatar,
01:17to corresponding banks, European corresponding banks, in order for that money to be utilized
01:23in payment for humanitarian goods to be given to Iran.
01:27It is still the case. No money has moved yet.
01:30Whether the U.S.-Iran talks happen, the reality of the navigation in the Strait of Hormuz
01:36is what dictates the urgency of the talks, with Iran digging in on its position that it controls the waterway.
01:43Despite the uncertainty over when senior U.S. and Iranian officials might meet face-to-face,
01:49Qatar says the technical negotiations are still moving forward.
01:52For Doha, keeping those talks alive may be just as important as preventing another escalation in the Strait of Hormuz.
01:59Mohamed Al-Lashi, your news, Doha.
Comments