Sunday or not? Qatari delegation in Tehran as US-Iran continue to mull peace deal

A Qatari delegation arrived in Tehran on Sunday to examine the latest developments in diplomatic efforts between Iran and the United States, according to Iranian media reports, as dozens of protesters gathered outside a foreign ministry office in Mashhad demanding the resignation of top diplomat Abbas Araghchi.Iranian media reported that the delegation, headed by an adviser to Qatar's prime minister and foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, held consultations with Iranian officials to continue the exchange of messages between Tehran and Washington regarding a proposed memorandum of understanding intended to end the war.According to reports from Iran, the protests in Mashhad followed a televised interview in which Araghchi stated that the proposed agreement includes provisions for dismantling the US naval blockade on Iranian ports.

Protesters were seen chanting "Araghchi, resign" and "Ghalibaf, resign," targeting the foreign minister and parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who is also serving as chief negotiator.

Two-stage framework under discussion

Araghchi said Friday that Tehran and Washington could announce an initial understanding in the coming days, while emphasizing that the process has not yet been finalised. He described the discussions as focused on a 14-point memorandum of understanding that remains under review.

According to Araghchi, the proposed framework consists of two stages. The first involves an initial memorandum of understanding, followed by a second phase of negotiations expected to last around 60 days. Issues including sanctions removal, the nuclear file, enrichment-related matters, economic reconstruction and other sensitive topics would be addressed in the second phase.Araghchi also underscored the importance of enforceable guarantees, citing previous experiences of non-compliance by adversaries and stressing that mechanisms must be established to prevent future breaches.

Conflicting timelines

US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that the agreement is "scheduled to get signed tomorrow, and immediately after it is signed, the Hormuz Strait is OPEN TO ALL." He described his agreement as "A WALL TO NO NUCLEAR WEAPON," contrasting it with the JCPOA negotiated by the Obama administration.Pakistani officials have stated that a deal could be finalized as early as Sunday, with an electronic signing ceremony being organized.However, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei explicitly downplayed an immediate conclusion, stating "It will not be tomorrow," though he acknowledged that an agreement might still be formalized in subsequent days.