The United States and Iran are still working towards a deal, as no agreement has been reached yet, Qatari Foreign Ministry Spokesman Majed bin Mohammed Al-Ansari said.
"At this point, we cannot say that an agreement has been reached<...> We are still trying to achieve one," Al-Ansari said.
The diplomat stressed that the mediators had set no deadline for concluding a deal. Asked what conditions were needed to resume negotiations, he said steps toward de-escalation were necessary.
Al-Ansari says mediators’ “focus right now is on avoiding escalation, reopening the strait and reopening the door for diplomacy between the parties.”
"Certain things need to happen on the ground before negotiations can resume. The first and most important are a return to the ceasefire, guarantees that vessels will not be attacked and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz," Al-Ansari said.
According to the spokesman, the minimum requirement is a return to the previous status quo in the strait in accordance with international law and in coordination with all coastal states.
