Report: Qatar likely to be new host of fresh talks on revival of Iran deal

In an article on Sunday, Nour News, which is affiliated with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), highlighted a “lengthy and unannounced” meeting that took place a day earlier between the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, and SNSC Secretary-General Ali Shamkhani in Tehran.

Borrell announced during the trip that Iran and the other parties to the 2015 nuclear deal had agreed to resume their negotiations, which hit an impasse in Vienna, Austria months ago.

Unlike the previous rounds, however, the fresh round of negotiations will not take place in Vienna and will instead be held in a place closer to the Persian Gulf, Borrell said.

Following Borrell’s visit to Iran, “all eyes are on the location and date of the future talks and how” they will be held, Nour News said.

Citing “obtained information,” the report said, “Given Qatar’s constant efforts toward a resumption of the sanctions removal talks, it has a higher chance of [being chosen] as the host of the future round of negotiations compared to the other Persian Gulf littoral states.”

Tehran has assured that if the other parties to the negotiations return to their commitments under the nuclear deal, it will follow suit.