In a fresh sign of the deepening impasse over Iran's nuclear programme, American envoys have concluded a round of talks in Doha with regional mediators from Qatar and Oman. According to diplomatic sources, the US delegation deliberately avoided direct contact with Iranian negotiators also present in the Qatari capital, a move that has drawn criticism from Tehran and raised questions about the viability of the diplomatic track.
The talks, held between 14 and 16 March, were part of a series of indirect negotiations aimed at reviving the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. The US insists that Iran must first halt its enrichment of uranium to 60% purity and allow unfettered inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Iran maintains that the US must first lift all sanctions reimposed after Washington's 2018 withdrawal from the deal.
A senior State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the US 'will not engage in talks for talks' sake. 'Our position has been made clear. The ball is in Tehran's court.' The Iranian delegation countered that it had come to Doha ready to negotiate but found no American counterpart at the table.
Mediators from Qatar and Oman shuttled between the two sides, but no further meetings have been scheduled. The standoff carries significant implications for regional stability and global energy markets. Iran continues to stockpile enriched uranium, and the IAEA recently confirmed that it has enough fissile material for several nuclear devices should it choose to weaponise.
The US 'snub' underscores the deep distrust between the two nations and dims hopes for a breakthrough before the June 2025 expiration of the current UN Security Council resolution that limits Iranian enrichment. Should that deadline pass without a deal, diplomatic options narrow rapidly, and the risk of military confrontation rises.
Dr. Helena Vance, Science & Climate Correspondent, notes that the nuclear enrichment process itself is a physical reality independent of politics. 'Uranium-235 enrichment to 60% is a thermodynamically intensive process that Iran has mastered. Without robust verification, the material could be further enriched to weapons-grade within weeks. This is a clock that is ticking, and it doesn't care about diplomatic niceties.'
As the world watches, the question remains whether the US and Iran will find a way to talk before the physics of enrichment dictates the next crisis. For now, the Doha meetings have produced only a record of missed opportunities.
