Iran's Doha Round Ends Without a Breakthrough as a Draft Circulates and China and Russia Warn Against New Strikes

November 2, 2026 · Category: World News

Three days of talks in Doha produced a shorter timeline and a draft, but not a deal. Iran's negotiators left Qatar on Sunday, and an official briefed on the talks said the departure was not caused by problems and that a draft proposal was being circulated, with a follow-up meeting possible, Reuters reported via Al-Monitor. On Monday, foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said messages with the United States were still being exchanged through mediators. "The dialogues are continuing. However, the issue is complex," he said, according to Reuters.

The framework is still Iran's seven-step plan from September, which President Donald Trump rejected at the time. It calls for the US to end its blockade of Iranian ports, for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, for a US waiver on Iranian oil sales and the cancellation of new sanctions, and only then for talks on other issues. What has changed is the pace: Baghaei confirmed the plan has been condensed so it could be carried out within two days. He also said Iran would return to nuclear talks only after verifying that its conditions were met, and he said no when asked whether moving Iran's highly enriched uranium abroad had come up.

Tehran's list of demands has, if anything, grown. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Al Jazeera that Washington must also accept a new transit route through the strait agreed between Iran and Oman, reduce US troop numbers in the region and lift sanctions imposed since August, Euronews reported. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi returned to Doha on Monday to help draft a preliminary agreement.

Outside powers are weighing in ahead of the US midterms, after which many fear the fighting could resume. Trump has said there will be no new attack before Tuesday's vote but has not ruled one out afterward. China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged a political solution after meeting senior Iranian security official Ali Bagheri Kani in Beijing, and Russia's foreign ministry called reports of new military action a cause for extreme concern, Reuters reported. Beijing is also sending special envoy Zhai Jun to Iran, Oman and Saudi Arabia.

Markets took the talks as a hopeful sign, with oil falling nearly 4% on Monday. Iranian sources told Reuters they still see a new US attack as more likely than a deal. A Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker was struck in the Gulf on Friday, its operator Nakilat said, a rare attack on an LNG carrier.

Why it matters

The Strait of Hormuz is central to global oil and gas flows, so the gap between a two-day reopening offer and a resumed US campaign after the midterms will affect energy prices and shipping worldwide. The talks show a working channel, but the sequencing dispute over sanctions, the blockade and the nuclear file is still unresolved.

Sources

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