Qatar

Qatar Says Indirect US-Iran Talks Have Made ‘Positive Progress’

Is the Doha nuclear deal a win for American pressure on Iran or a giveaway driven by Gulf-tied financial conflicts?

18 hours ago·Updated 6 hours ago

Qatar Says Indirect US-Iran Talks Have Made ‘Positive Progress’

story

Above: A traditional dhow boat is seen at sea, with towering skyscrapers on the Doha Corniche on June 29. Image credit: Noushad Thekkayil/NurPhoto/Getty Images

The Spin

Anti-Trump narrative

Trump has traded statecraft for self-dealing. He let negotiators with billions riding on Gulf sovereign funds shape nuclear talks, then launched a war that killed service members and civilians, spiked prices, and handed Iran greater leverage over Hormuz. The one path that could have worked — patient diplomacy — he discarded, only to crawl back to the table weaker than before.

Al Jazeera

Elizabeth Warren on X

Pro-Trump narrative

Iran didn't come to Doha out of goodwill — it came because Operations Midnight Hammer and Epic Fury shattered its navy, air force and nuclear program. Maximum pressure is working, and any deal that eases sanctions before Iran proves it has abandoned enrichment and cleared the Strait of Hormuz hands back hard-won leverage for nothing. The path forward is sustained military and economic pressure, not concessions to a regime that has never negotiated in good faith.

Bill Mitchell on X Hudson Institute