US-Iran direct talks: no date or venue finalized yet

The United States and Iran have not agreed on a date or venue for the next round of direct talks aimed at resolving their standoff over Tehran's nuclear program, according to sources close to the negotiations cited by Anadolu Agency. Officials on both sides say contacts continue through intermediary channels, but no formal session has been scheduled, leaving the diplomatic track in a holding pattern even as both governments describe themselves as open to further engagement.

The stalled scheduling follows a year marked by repeated rounds of indirect and direct negotiations, mediated at various points by Oman, whose foreign minister, Badr al-Busaidi, has served as the primary go-between for messages passed between Washington and Tehran. Earlier sessions were held in Muscat and Rome, with US envoy Steve Witkoff engaging Iranian counterparts including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi over the scope of any deal on uranium enrichment limits, sanctions relief, and verification mechanisms. Talks have repeatedly broken down over Iran's insistence on retaining a domestic enrichment capability and Washington's demand for stricter caps tied to the collapsed 2015 nuclear accord.

Qatar, alongside Oman, has positioned itself as a regional interlocutor capable of hosting or facilitating sensitive dialogue, drawing on its record mediating Gaza ceasefire negotiations and its direct communication channels with both Washington and Tehran. Doha has consistently urged de-escalation, warning that continued confrontation risks destabilizing Gulf shipping lanes and energy infrastructure critical to regional economies, including its own liquefied natural gas exports through the Strait of Hormuz. Gulf states have repeatedly called for diplomacy over military escalation, citing the shared exposure of Gulf Cooperation Council members to any disruption in the region.