Iran-US war latest: Trump dismisses fears of renewed combat as Qatar cites ‘positive progress’ in deadlocked talks

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Iran-US war latest: Trump dismisses fears of renewed combat as Qatar cites ‘positive progress’ in deadlocked talks

Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff were in Qatar to discuss the state of negotiations with mediators

Indirect talks between Tehran and Washington have ended in a stalemate in Doha despite President Donald Trump insisting the US is getting along “very ⁠well” with Iran.

The discussions, which were handled by mediators, concluded on Wednesday evening, as sources said teams largely focused on issues that had supposedly already been settled.

Iran has said it would not initiate the remaining clauses of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) until the initial five clauses were fully stabilised and finalised.

But President Trump told reporters that the “denuclearisation of Iran is moving along well” and that “very good meetings” were held in Qatar as he and his vice president played down any suggestion of a return to all-out combat.

Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Qatar on Tuesday to meet mediators, but no direct talks have taken place.

Qatar's foreign ministry said the talks made "positive progress" on issues related to the interim agreement and were "building on the outcomes" of a previous summit in Switzerland.

Back in the US, Vice President JD Vance slammed critics of Iran negotiations during a visit with troops, claiming they wanted the war “to just keep going and keep going.”

Iran war cost American households $1,000 each, economist estimates

The fighting may have come to a pause, but Americans are still feeling the pain from the Iran war.

The conflict, which paralyzed global oil traffic and sent prices spiking, has cost the typical American household $1,000 each, Moody’s chief economist Mark Zandi estimates.

“The true cost is likely higher—meaningfully higher,” he wrote in a recent op-ed in The Philadelphia Inquirer. “It’s fair to ask whether it was worth it.”

Josh Marcus2 July 2026 05:00

Qatar says US-Iran talks made 'positive progress', next round after Khamenei funeral

Qatar has said the latest round of indirect talks between the United States and Iran made "positive progress", with both sides agreeing to resume negotiations after the funeral ceremonies for Iran's former Supreme Leader.

It came even as talks ended in a stalemate in Doha without any indication of a breakthrough.

In a post on X, Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari said Qatari and Pakistani mediators held separate meetings with US and Iranian negotiators in Doha on Wednesday.

He said the discussions made "positive progress" on issues related to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding and built on the outcomes of the Lake Lucerne Summit.

Al Ansari added that the parties had agreed to continue negotiations, with the next round to be scheduled "at the earliest possible time" following the funeral processions for Iran's former Supreme Leader.

Shweta Sharma2 July 2026 04:59

Iran says Strait of Hormuz is under its control, rejects US military role

Iran's deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi has asserted that the Strait of Hormuz is "under Iran's command, not Centcom’s", dismissing any suggestion that US-led military efforts can determine security in the strategically vital waterway.

In a post on X on Wednesday, Gharibabadi said a military meeting in Bahrain could not establish a legal or security framework for the Persian Gulf.

"Hormuz is defined under Iran's command, not Centcom. A military summit in Bahrain cannot establish legal order and security for the Persian Gulf," he wrote.

He added that regional security could only be achieved through an end to foreign intervention, the withdrawal of US forces from the region, respect for the sovereignty of regional states, and recognition of what he described as "new geopolitical realities" – "not under the military umbrella of America."

Shweta Sharma2 July 2026 04:30

ICYMI: Iran–US held fresh indirect talks in Doha with no breakthrough

Iran and the US have wrapped up a fresh round of indirect talks in Qatar without any indication of a breakthrough, with discussions focused on implementing an interim agreement reached two weeks ago rather than tackling the long-running dispute over Tehran's nuclear programme.

According to sources familiar with the negotiations, delegations spent two days in Doha discussing maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and the unfreezing of Iranian funds – two key elements of the June memorandum that halted the conflict between the two countries.

Qatar's foreign ministry said the talks made "positive progress" on issues related to the interim agreement and were "building on the outcomes" of a previous summit in Switzerland. The ministry added that the next round of negotiations will take place after the funeral ceremonies for Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is due to be buried on 9 July.

Speaking in Washington, US president Donald Trump struck an optimistic tone, saying negotiations on possible limits to Iran's nuclear programme were progressing.

"The denuclearisation of Iran is moving along well," Trump told reporters. "They've had very good meetings, and we'll see."

However, sources familiar with the Doha discussions said the nuclear issue was not raised during the latest round, describing the meetings as technical and focused on implementing previously agreed measures.

US vice president JD Vance acknowledged that nuclear negotiations were yet to begin in earnest.

"Obviously, we're worried about the nuclear issue, we're going to start talking about that," he told reporters.

The talks remained indirect, with American and Iranian negotiators meeting separately with Qatari and Pakistani mediators, according to Qatar's foreign ministry.

Notably absent were Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and US special envoy Steve Witkoff, despite earlier White House indications that senior officials would participate. A source familiar with the matter said neither attended the Doha meetings.

Iran's delegation was led by deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi, who confirmed the talks had concluded. Neither Tehran nor Washington indicated whether the latest discussions had narrowed the remaining differences between the two sides.

Shweta Sharma2 July 2026 04:13

Trump administration lobbied Saudis over Strait of Hormuz as tensions flared: report

In May, U.S. leaders embarked on frantic charm offensive to smooth things over with their ally Saudi Arabia, as the Gulf nation barred American forces from using its air space for “Project Freedom,” an effort to guide commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz during the U.S.-Iran cease-fire.

Despite calls from President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Saudis initially didn’t budge, The New York Times reports, though they later reportedly changed course.

As a result, the planned escort operation was soon scrapped.

For more context, here’s our story about the operation.

Trump paused Project Freedom after Gulf ally ‘suspended US access to airspace’

The scheme is said to have angered Saudi leadership who were not consulted in advance

Josh Marcus2 July 2026 04:00

Drone attack targets Iranian Kurdish group in Iraq

An explosive-laden drone targeted a camp belonging to an Iranian Kurdish ⁠opposition group ​in ⁠the Koysanjaq ‌district of Iraq, security sources in Iraq said.

The attack in the east of Erbil in ‌Iraq's Kurdistan ‌region caused a ⁠fire at the camp.

There was no immediate information on casualties or ‌who was responsible ​for ‌the ⁠attack.

Shweta Sharma2 July 2026 03:58

Watch: Tehran says it will not restart peace talks until agreement with Trump is upheld

Nicole Wootton-Cane2 July 2026 03:00

Children were blown up at a busy Iranian school. Trump still claims America wasn’t responsible

It was the deadliest reported strike in the US -Israeli war against Iran, and most of the victims were children. Yet over four months since a US missile struck an Iranian primary school, there is no final accounting of what happened.

The Trump administration has not directly accepted the blame, though the military possessed evidence almost immediately that the site had been struck, a U.S. official with knowledge of the situation, speaking anonymously to discuss an ongoing investigation. told The Associated Press.

Drawing from interviews with US officials, human rights workers and Iranians in direct contact with rescuers and families of victims, the AP reconstructed the strike and its aftermath to reveal new details of what happened. Most requested anonymity for fear of retribution against them and their sources.

You can read the full story below:

Children were blown up at a busy Iranian school. Trump claims US wasn’t responsible

Teachers called parents to pick up their kids. Then the bomb fell

Nicole Wootton-Cane2 July 2026 02:00

Container ship ‘runs aground in Strait of Hormuz’

A foreign container ship has run aground in the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state television reported on Wednesday, claiming the vessel failed to follow an approved route.

While identifying it as a foreign container ship, the report provided no further immediate details about the incident.

The Iranian state television report appeared aimed at underlining Tehran's claims to control over the Strait as US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held talks with mediators in Doha, Qatar.

You can read more below:

Container ship ‘runs aground in Strait of Hormuz’

Comes as Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were in Doha, Qatar, for talks with mediators

Nicole Wootton-Cane2 July 2026 01:00

Asian shares trade mixed as worries over Iran-US deal remain

Asian shares were trading mixed early Wednesday, as uncertainty remained about an initial deal to end the war in Iran and access to the crucial Strait of Hormuz.

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 added 0.6% to 70,463.72. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.4% to 8,744.50. South Korea's Kospi dropped 1.8% to 8,322.39. The Shanghai Composite edged up 0.1% to 4,099.41. Trading was closed in Hong Kong.

“While oil markets are currently priced for a gradual return to supply normalization, traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has yet to recover to prewar levels,” said Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade.

You can read more below:

Asian shares trade mixed as worries over Iran-US deal remain

Asian shares are trading mixed, as uncertainty remained about the war in Iran and access to the crucial Strait of Hormuz despite an initial U.S.-Iran deal

Nicole Wootton-Cane2 July 2026 00:00