Sources confirm that US envoys have entered a closed-door meeting with mediators in Doha, Qatar, but with one glaring omission: Iran. The talks, convened to address the stalled nuclear negotiations, appear to be a diplomatic end-run around Tehran, a move that critics say signals Washington’s unwillingness to engage directly with the Islamic Republic.
Documents obtained by this newsroom reveal that the US delegation, led by Special Envoy Robert Malley, arrived in Doha late Tuesday. The talks are being hosted by Qatari officials, who have positioned themselves as intermediaries between Washington and Tehran. But the absence of any Iranian representatives has raised eyebrows among analysts, who see this as a deliberate snub.
“This is not a negotiation. This is a lecture,” said a former State Department official familiar with the talks, speaking on condition of anonymity. “You can’t resolve an impasse by ignoring one of the parties.”
The nuclear impasse has been a source of tension for months. Iran has accelerated its uranium enrichment to near-weapons-grade levels, while the US has maintained crippling sanctions. The original 2015 deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, has been in tatters since the US unilaterally withdrew in 2018 under then-President Trump.
Now, the Biden administration is trying to restore the deal but has faced fierce resistance from hardliners in both Tehran and Washington. The decision to exclude Iran from the Doha talks is likely to harden the positions of both sides.
“This is a classic US move: talk about us, not with us,” said a senior Iranian diplomat who asked not to be named. “If they want a deal, they know where we are.”
The meeting in Doha comes as international inspectors warn that Iran is weeks away from having enough fissile material to build a bomb. The clock is ticking, but the US approach seems to be one of controlled delay: keep the talks alive without making concessions.
Human rights groups have also criticised the US for failing to address the humanitarian toll of sanctions. Uncovered documents show that the Treasury Department has approved exemptions for food and medicine, but red tape and banking restrictions have made it nearly impossible for Iranians to receive these essentials. Prices for insulin and cancer drugs have skyrocketed on the black market, while ordinary citizens struggle to access basic healthcare.
“The US talks about human rights while imposing economic warfare that kills innocent people,” said a spokesperson for Amnesty International.
Inside the Doha meetings, the US is reportedly pushing for Iran to halt enrichment at 60% purity and allow unfettered access for IAEA inspectors. In return, the US is offering limited sanctions relief on oil exports and frozen assets. But without Iran at the table, the offer is effectively dead on arrival.
“This is a diplomatic theatre,” said a Qatari source familiar with the talks. “The US wants to show it’s trying, but it doesn’t want a deal. Not yet.”
As the negotiations grind on, one thing is clear: the clock is ticking, and each side is waiting for the other to blink. But with no direct dialogue, the only winners will be the hardliners on both sides who prefer crisis to compromise.
