Behind closed doors in Doha: US and Iran hold indirect talks with Qatar and Pakistan mediating

Behind closed doors in Doha: US and Iran hold indirect talks with Qatar and Pakistan mediating. Indirect negotiations between the United States and Iran, mediated by Qatar and Pakistan, are under way in Doha on Wednesday, a well informed source told Xinhua.

Diplomacy sometimes resembles a chess game where pieces move not across the board but through intermediaries. The parties are in the same city but do not meet face to face — they speak through third parties, behind closed doors, in the quiet of negotiation rooms. The nuclear programme, frozen assets, finances — each topic requires a separate table and a separate mediator.

According to the source, the talks are being held in an indirect format, without personal meetings between the parties. The sessions are closed and conducted with the assistance of mediators. The source also said that technical negotiations of at least three working groups are taking place in Doha, covering the nuclear issue, diplomacy, financing and the return of frozen Iranian funds.

The Doha talks are part of the implementation of the memorandum of understanding signed by the US and Iran on 18 June. The document provides for a 60 day transition period to reach final decisions. Qatar and Pakistan have traditionally acted as mediators in regional conflicts. The technical groups are working on details that will later be brought to the level of high level representatives. The absence of direct contact underscores the caution of both sides, but the very fact of the talks shows that the diplomatic channel remains open.

As reported by CCTV+, the meeting of the technical groups will last several days, and its outcomes could determine the further trajectory of US Iran relations.