Headlines are reporting that Iran’s top negotiator, parliament speaker Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Araghchi are in Doha to meet with Qatar’s prime minister on a possible deal to end the conflict. Again, I would be remiss if I did not point out that “a potential agreement to end the conflict” does not actually mean a final agreement between the two parties. All this merely hints at a peace treaty as part of a broader framework agreement or memorandum of understanding.
Reuters also reports that discussions in Doha will center around the Strait of Hormuz and highly enriched uranium. In addition, Iran’s central bank governor will also attend the meeting to discuss the possible release of frozen funds as part of the final US-Iran deal.
Again, it is important to read between the lines. Both sides are now negotiating some broad terms as part of a preliminary agreement/deal before moving on to nuclear discussions. Although it may sound positive, when put together those words don’t necessarily hold up.
Think of it this way: the US and Iran know which puzzle pieces they need from each other to complete the picture. However, those exact pieces may not fit together and may not match well to fill the empty gaps at the end of the day.
I previously did a more detailed post on this here: How Close Are We Really to a US-Iran Endgame?
