Qatari PM urges caution on US-Iran talks, warns of external factors

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani urged caution on Monday regarding the ongoing negotiations between the United States and Iran, warning that “external circumstances” could still affect the talks despite the clear will on both sides to reach an agreement. “We must be cautious, because despite the will, there are external circumstances that may affect the negotiations,” Sheikh Mohammed told Al Jazeera television. He said the recently signed memorandum of understanding helped bring about a halt to the war and laid the foundation for negotiations, adding that the memorandum was reached “after significant efforts with Qatar’s partners in Pakistan and with regional support.”

Negotiation framework

The Qatari premier said the main objective of the memorandum is to stop the war and establish a framework for negotiations between Washington and Tehran. The memorandum creates an “institutional framework for the negotiating process” and requires both sides to “meet regularly” to resolve outstanding issues. He described the framework presented during Sunday’s talks in Switzerland as “positive” and confirmed that technical discussions are continuing. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said early Monday that the negotiations had produced “significant progress” toward ending the war in Lebanon and easing pressure on Iran’s economy.