Indirect talks between USA and Iran make progress, according to mediators

In the coming days, funeral ceremonies in Iran will dominate the political calendar. According to Iranian reports, the mourning ceremonies will begin on Saturday in the capital Tehran and in the pilgrimage city of Qom. The burial of the killed Iranian head of state, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is planned for July 9 in his birthplace Mashhad in the northeast of the country, according to the information.

Mashhad is located in northeastern Iran and is one of the most important religious centers of the country. The upcoming mourning ceremonies are also linked to a phase of political sensitivity, in which direct high-level contacts between Iranian and US representatives are considered unlikely. The mediators therefore chose the format of indirect talks.

Funeral ceremonies determine the schedule

The mediating states Qatar and Pakistan had reported progress immediately after the conclusion of the separate talks. Both countries maintain close diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic as well as with the United States. Their role consisted of shuttling between the delegations and forwarding interim results.

Observers interpret the indirect form of the talks as a pragmatic compromise. Direct encounters between official representatives of the USA and Iran would be politically delicate during the ongoing mourning period. The mediator format nevertheless makes it possible to gradually fill the agreed architecture for ending the war with content.

According to reports, the negotiations build on the framework agreement reached about two weeks ago. Little was initially known about its contents; it remained unclear what concrete steps for de-escalation had been agreed upon. The progress now reported is interpreted by the mediators as confirmation that the negotiating architecture is working.

Open questions about the next round

It remains open when exactly the next round of talks can begin. Al-Ansari only said that a date should be set as soon as possible after the mourning ceremonies. The fixing of a date therefore also depends on the conclusion of the burial planned for July 9 in Mashhad.

The indirect architecture of the talks involves both Qatar and Pakistan, each of which maintains its own channels to both capitals. This dual mediation approach is considered unusual, but is intended to reduce the risk of failure and distribute the pressure on the delegations. Observers see it as a sign of both sides' desire not to let the chosen path be broken off.

Should the next round take place as announced, it would be the first direct negotiating step since the mourning phase for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Diplomats in Doha interpret the current announcement as a signal that, despite the domestic mourning in Iran and the tense relationship with Washington, a channel is being kept open.