WEB DESK: US President Donald Trump said talks with Iran were “going very well”, reiterating that Tehran must not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons.
Speaking on Wednesday, Trump said discussions on Iran’s nuclear programme were progressing positively and remained focused on denuclearisation.
“The ongoing talks are mainly focused on denuclearisation, and Iran simply cannot have a nuclear weapon,” he said.
Trump also claimed that a major strike had been carried out against Iran last week and pointed to rising stock markets as evidence that “everyone is making profits”.
He also commented on economic and corporate matters, referring to major financial contributions linked to key industries and discussing compensation for US citizens.
Concluding his remarks, the US president said he had held productive meetings with Iranian officials and that further developments were expected in the coming days.
Meanwhile, the United States and Iran held technical talks in Qatar on Wednesday aimed at securing a lasting peace agreement, restoring normal shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and advancing a ceasefire reached last month, according to sources familiar with the negotiations.
The discussions, held in Doha under Qatari mediation with Pakistan’s involvement, are based on a 14-point interim agreement signed in June that halted hostilities and initiated a 60-day process to negotiate a permanent peace accord.
According to a source with direct knowledge of the talks, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff met Qatar’s prime minister to help facilitate the negotiations but were not participating in the technical discussions.
The talks began on Tuesday night and continued on Wednesday, with negotiators and technical experts focusing on key issues, including the future management of the Strait of Hormuz and the release of $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets, an Iranian official said.
The United States is seeking guarantees for the uninterrupted flow of commercial shipping through the strategic waterway, while Iran has called for international recognition of its authority over the strait and the right to impose transit fees on vessels entering or leaving the Gulf.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which handled about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade before the conflict, has partially resumed, although analysts say the situation remains uncertain.
Iranian state media reported on Wednesday that a foreign container ship had run aground after entering shallow waters outside the shipping lane designated by Iranian authorities.
The interim agreement follows weeks of military exchanges between Washington and Tehran over differing interpretations of its provisions.
Oil prices fell by more than 1% on Wednesday as markets closely monitored developments in the negotiations.
The agreement also includes efforts to reduce tensions in Lebanon, where the United States is supporting separate talks between Israel and the Lebanese government aimed at ending hostilities involving Hezbollah.
A source familiar with the negotiations said intensive diplomatic contacts on Lebanon continued until Tuesday evening.
Both Washington and Tehran are facing growing domestic pressure to avoid renewed escalation. Trump is seeking to limit the economic impact of the conflict ahead of November’s US midterm elections, while Iran’s leadership is under increasing pressure over the country’s economic challenges.