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Days after US President Donald Trump said that the ceasefire agreement with Iran was effectively "over" for him, Qatari negotiators have travelled to Iran on Friday in an effort to ease tensions and create conditions for the resumption of US-Iran talks following the recent military escalation in West Asia, CNN reported, citing a diplomat familiar with the visit.
According to CNN, the visit was planned in coordination with the United States, and the talks are aimed at reducing tensions and facilitating a possible return to negotiations between Washington and Tehran. The move comes after a lull in fighting on Friday, following a sharp escalation in strikes from both sides that threatened to disrupt the agreement between the US and Iran. Mediators are working to bring both sides back to the negotiating table. In the last few days, there was military escalation between Tehran and Washington, during which the US alleged that Iran had been involved in attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, following which its forces conducted several strikes on Tehran in retaliation. The Islamic Republic retaliated with strikes on US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan, further exacerbating the military confrontation between the two sides. Another US official told CNN that Washington has been using a strategy of carrying out limited military strikes followed by pauses to prevent further escalation and allow diplomatic efforts to continue. "Diplomacy is happening behind the scenes to ease tensions in the US-Iran conflict," the official told CNN, adding that the United States is maintaining a list of potential targets as leverage. Multiple US officials said preparations had been made for possible military action if required, but the administration is currently allowing diplomatic channels to take the lead. The diplomatic push comes as regional actors attempt to prevent further escalation and revive discussions aimed at reaching a broader understanding between the US and Iran. (ANI)
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