US and Iranian officials are set to hold indirect, lower-level technical talks in Doha on Wednesday, with Qatari and Pakistani mediators facilitating discussions.
The talks will be aimed at cementing a permanent end to the Middle East war, a diplomat with knowledge of the negotiations told AFP.
Moreover, it will focus on the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the two sides and are intended to build on progress made at the Lake Lucerne Summit, the diplomat said.
US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, who met Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Tuesday, will reportedly not take part in Wednesday's technical-level discussions.
Among the key unresolved issues is Iran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz, with the MoU providing for the waterway's reopening. Traffic through the strait fell over the weekend after a vessel came under attack while transiting.
A US official said talks would continue "on all areas of the MoU," while Iran has separately held discussions with Oman on the future management of vessel movement through the strait.
The release of Iran's frozen assets is another sticking point. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Monday that steps to unfreeze the funds were "underway," with $6 billion set to be released out of a total $12 billion.
Meanwhile, Iran's Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said Tuesday that talks with Qatar would specifically address the provision on releasing Iran's restricted assets.
ALSO READ: 'Prepared For War': Iran Issues Blunt Warning To US, Draws Red Line On Hormuz
The development comes despite sporadic exchanges of fire in the Gulf since the deal was signed, including a US Central Command strike on ten Iranian military targets over the weekend in response to what it called continued Iranian aggression against shipping, and Iranian retaliatory strikes on US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, both of which Washington and its allies condemned.
Iran's chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said in a televised interview on Tuesday that implementation challenges were inevitable given the scale of the conflict, particularly given Israel's involvement.
He said Iran's delegation would prioritise clauses relating to fighting in Lebanon and the Strait of Hormuz, adding that Tehran remained committed to the agreement's implementation and expected Washington to do the same.
Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon has also relatively quietened in recent days.
ALSO READ: US Envoys In Doha But Won't Meet Iranian Delegation, Qatar Says; Denies $6-Billion Funds Transfer
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