Doha’s quiet corridors have become the de facto war room for the latest phase of the Iran-US standoff. On Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi sat across from Qatari mediators who carried fresh feedback from Washington on a seven-day trust-building initiative. The document circulating now aims to force both sides back onto the track of the June memorandum of understanding, specifically targeting concrete steps on Iran’s nuclear program and the physical reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. It is a narrow corridor. One misstep and the ships stay stopped.
The friction is not about the destination; it is about the route. According to a non-Iranian official briefed on the talks, the two sides agree on the components but clash violently on the sequencing. Who moves first? Does Tehran lift sanctions before Washington lifts blockades, or vice versa? This technical deadlock has stalled progress since Trump rejected Araqchi’s initial proposal last week, a rejection that sent the talks back to the Qatari shuttle diplomacy loop.
The stakes remain existential for global energy markets. The Strait of Hormuz handles roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply, and its continued closure is suffocating trade routes from the Gulf to East Asia. The Qatari mediators, returning from a direct meeting in the United States, delivered their message on Monday evening, catching Araqchi’s team off-guard but keeping the diplomatic clock ticking. There is no patience left on either side.
Araqchi is expected to present the US response to Tehran’s leadership on Wednesday. The Iranian cabinet will likely demand assurances that the "enhanced version" of the June deal includes binding guarantees on economic relief. If the sequencing impasse persists, the seven-day window collapses, leaving only the option of renewed hostilities or a prolonged, costly stalemate in the Gulf.