Live: U.S.-Iran Ties on the Mend as Qatar Nuclear Talks Yield Positive Results

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani travelled to Beirut on Thursday (July 2, 2026) and held talks with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, making clear that Damascus had no intention of sending forces into Lebanon even as the United States has been pushing for such action, the Lebanese presidency announced. Mr. Shaibani also extended a formal invitation for President Aoun to make a visit to Syria. During the same trip, he sat down with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri — a Hezbollah ally — for the first time, marking a notable diplomatic contact. U.S. President Donald Trump has on numerous occasions contended that Syria should "take care of Hezbollah," and has been openly critical of Israel's conduct in its ongoing war against the Iran-backed militant organisation. Nevertheless, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa — who came to power in December 2024 after guiding a rebel alliance that ousted long-entrenched ruler Bashar al-Assad — has made his position clear: Damascus will not wade into Lebanese territory or stir up old hostilities.

Iran's leading clerics are putting together an elaborate multi-day schedule of state funeral rites for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, presenting the occasion as a demonstration of the public's allegiance to the Islamic Republic and a sign that its revolutionary drive remains very much alive. The supreme leader was killed during the first coordinated military strikes of this war, carried out jointly by the U.S. and Israel. Funeral proceedings are slated to open this weekend in Tehran, with major public processions to follow next week in Qom and Mashhad, and commemorative ceremonies also planned across Iraq. "The sheer size of the crowds who turn out for the funeral march of the martyred leader and the fellow martyrs will, in practical terms, serve as yet another referendum in favour of the Islamic Republic," Ayatollah Mohammad Saidi, Qom's Friday prayer leader, declared to state-run media. — Reuters

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun stepped forward on Thursday (July 2, 2026) to defend his government's continuing dialogue with Israel, making clear that the negotiations amounted to no act of betrayal and that not a single inch of Lebanese land would ever be handed over, according to a statement from the presidency. The previous day, on Wednesday (July 1, 2026), Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz had announced that Israeli troops would remain in place indefinitely in what his government designates as 'security zones' — spread across Lebanon, the Gaza Strip and Syria — until further orders were given. — AFP

Pakistan's Foreign Ministry has confirmed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will make his way to Iran this week to attend the funeral of late supreme leader Ali Khamenei. Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi told reporters that the prime minister's schedule includes trips to both Iran and Turkey between July 3 and 5, adding that Iran will be his first stop, where he will take part in the supreme leader's funeral. (AFP)

Iran's unified military command has put out a directive making it mandatory for all oil tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz to follow routes that Iran has designated. The command made clear that any vessel choosing to disregard this order will encounter a 'forceful response.' (AP)

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran's lead negotiator, has called on his fellow citizens to turn out in overwhelming numbers for Ali Khamenei's funeral, framing such a showing as retribution for the supreme leader's death in joint U.S.-Israeli strikes that marked the beginning of the war. Addressing the Iranian public in a formal statement, Ghalibaf urged everyone to attend the funeral ceremonies opening on Saturday, July 4, and through their presence "write a glorious page in the history of Islamic Iran." He further declared that "the nation's call for vengeance must ring in the ears of the whole world." —AFP

Pakistan announced that its mediators, working in coordination with Qatar, conducted separate rounds of discussions with American and Iranian negotiators in Doha, recording meaningful forward movement on multiple dimensions of the MoU, with both delegations agreeing to sustain their engagement going forward. The memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran had been signed on June 18, with the aim of reviving peace across West Asia. That agreement was followed by expert-level consultations held in Switzerland on June 21, in which Pakistan and Qatar served as go-betweens. Pakistan's Foreign Office, in an official statement, said that Qatari and Pakistani mediators met separately with U.S. and Iranian delegators in Doha on Thursday, making constructive gains on matters tied to the Islamabad MOU and building further on the groundwork established at the Lake Lucerne Summit.

Mediating nations announced Thursday that the next indirect round of negotiations between the United States and Iran will be convened after the funeral of the late Iranian supreme leader, as diplomatic momentum toward ending the Middle East conflict continues to build slowly. Following Wednesday's indirect engagement between the two adversaries in Doha, U.S. President Donald Trump along with mediating nations Qatar and Pakistan each offered signals that the peace process remained intact — even as the sides exchanged fire at various points during the week. A provisional agreement has already been reached to reopen the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz and end active hostilities, though significant unresolved matters — chiefly Iran's nuclear programme — still need to be addressed in future sessions. "Qatari and Pakistani mediators completed separate engagements with negotiating teams from both the U.S. and Iran in Doha on Wednesday, with the outcome reflecting positive movement," Pakistan announced on Thursday. Islamabad further stated that the two parties had agreed to maintain the dialogue, adding that the following meeting would be arranged "at the earliest possible time following the funeral processions of the former Iranian Supreme Leader." -AFP

Negotiating delegations from the U.S. and Iran registered "positive progress" through indirect talks convened in Doha, with the subsequent round expected to be held after the burial of Iran's recently deceased supreme leader, Qatar's Foreign Ministry spokesman said. Spokesmen Majed Al Ansari posted on X on Wednesday that Qatar and Pakistan, acting in their capacity as mediators, each held separate meetings with the American and Iranian delegating teams in Doha that day. He said the sessions produced meaningful advancement on issues tied to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, extending the groundwork laid at the Lake Lucerne Summit. Al Ansari further noted that both sides have agreed to keep the dialogue alive in the weeks ahead, with the date of the next gathering to be finalised at the earliest opportunity following the conclusion of the late Iranian supreme leader's funeral processions. —AFP

Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump said that America and Iran were on a strong footing diplomatically and that the recent round of indirect negotiations held in Qatar had gone well. "Iran's denuclearization is progressing nicely," Trump told reporters. "The meetings have been very good, and we will see what comes next." He added that the two nations were developing a solid rapport, and credited Iran with having come a considerable distance through the course of the diplomatic process.