DOHA, Qatar: Doha said on Tuesday that Pakistan, Qatar and Oman were mediating indirect talks between the United States and Iran to de-escalate tensions and revive broader diplomatic negotiations.
“We can confirm that the efforts are still ongoing with all parties,” Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari told reporters during a regular briefing in Doha.
Al Ansari said Pakistan, Qatar and Oman were working together to facilitate contacts between the two sides. “Qatar, Pakistan and now Oman are all working together,” he said.
“We are coordinating very closely with the Omanis to facilitate the talks between both sides and exchanging ideas and exchanging drafts between both sides,” the Qatar foreign ministry spokesperson added.
He said the immediate focus of the negotiations was to achieve a short-term breakthrough that could pave the way for broader mediation efforts.
“The negotiations are focused on a short-term resolution that would help us reignite the talks and go back to the mediation efforts in its totality,” Al Ansari said.
He added that Qatar’s immediate priority was reducing tensions and reopening the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping.
Highlights from the weekly media briefing by Dr. Majed bin Mohammed Al-Ansari @majedalansari, Advisor to the Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs#MOFAQatar pic.twitter.com/szy27F62uS
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) August 4, 2026
“Our focus right now is on lowering escalation, reopening the strait, and reopening the door for diplomacy between the parties,” he said.
“We are hopeful that if we can get a resumption of the talks anytime soon, we’ll be able to push forward towards a major deal.”
Mediators trying to revive Islamabad MoU
Pakistan and Qatar have intensified mediation efforts in recent days to seek a permanent resolution to the conflict between the United States and Iran through dialogue and diplomacy.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Pakistan continued to act as a mediator between Tehran and Washington, while Qatar was providing support whenever required during the negotiation process.
On Sunday, Iranian lawmaker Hassan Ghashghavi, spokesman for the Iranian parliament’s National Security Commission, said mediators were making renewed efforts to revive the Pakistan-brokered Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which ended the US-Iran conflict in June.
“There is an effort underway to revive the 14-point Islamabad agreement, particularly by the mediators,” Ghashghavi said in a video interview.
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a telephone conversation on Monday with his Iranian counterpart Seyyed Abbas Araghchi to discuss regional developments as diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East continued.
Ishaq Dar, during the call, also invited Foreign Minister Araghchi to visit Pakistan at his earliest convenience.
Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 spoke today with the Foreign Minister of Iran, Seyyed Abbas Araghchi.
They exchanged views on regional and international developments, including the deteriorating situation in Occupied East… pic.twitter.com/KHA2I5OctV
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) August 3, 2026
US, Iran make progress in talks
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that progress had been made in talks with Iran and Oman on reopening the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping.
Rubio told reporters at the State Department that negotiations were moving forward. “There’s been progress made in those talks, but not finality yet. We’re hoping that will happen very shortly,” the US Secretary of State said.
Also Read: US, Iran Make Progress in Hormuz Reopening Talks: Rubio
Earlier on Tuesday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that the US could reach a deal with Iran by Wednesday to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“We are in talks with the Iranians, and I think there is a chance we may have a deal today or tomorrow to open the strait and move towards a more normalised position in this conflict,” Bessent said Tuesday in an interview with CNBC.
Bessent on Iran:
We’ve seen Trump, last week, threaten what would have been the largest military campaign since World War II against the Iranians, and now, because of that, we are in talks with the Iranians.
I think there’s a chance we may have a deal today or tomorrow to open… pic.twitter.com/mnel0A16O0
— Clash Report (@clashreport) August 4, 2026
Asked if a deal would allow Iran to charge a toll on shipping using the strait, Bessent said: “I think it would be freedom of movement.”
Bessent’s comments echoed those of US President Donald Trump on Monday, who insisted the waterway could reopen within hours after he pulled back from threats of a massive military strike on Iran.
Iran’s foreign ministry has denied that negotiations with Washington were taking place, and on Tuesday, an unknown projectile hit a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, a key point of tension in the US-Iran conflict.
Bessent was upbeat on the impact a deal with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz would have on energy prices, where he said hundreds of ships are waiting to go out.
“Even though things are still a little dicey there over the past few days, we’ve (seen) quite a few ships coming out even now,” Bessent said.
“So you know, I’d expect the energy prices to settle back down, which, as I said, will be good for the entire world,” the US Treasury Secretary told CNBC.
Islamabad MoU framework
The Islamabad MoU was brokered by Pakistan and Qatar following negotiations in Islamabad after months of military confrontation between Washington and Tehran.
Under the Islamabad MoU, the US and Iran committed to halt military operations, reopen the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping and negotiate a comprehensive agreement covering Iran’s nuclear programme, US sanctions and a permanent ceasefire within 60 days.
Pakistan and Qatar subsequently co-mediated the first round of high-level negotiations in Lucerne, Switzerland, on June 21.
The talks were attended by US Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
Pakistan has played a central mediating role between the United States and Iran since brokering a ceasefire on 8 April and hosting high-level talks between the two sides in Islamabad on 12 and 13 April.
Pakistan has repeatedly urged both countries to honour the Islamabad MoU and continue diplomatic engagement.
The first round of Pakistan- and Qatar-mediated negotiations under the agreement was later held in Lucerne, Switzerland, on 21 June.
The talks were attended by US Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
Following the negotiations, Pakistan and Qatar announced significant progress in diplomatic efforts, while Washington eased certain sanctions on Tehran.
The latest diplomatic activity comes amid months of heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran.
