Iran said talks with US through mediators continued after Qatar round ended without a breakthrough

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the basis of the talks remained Iran's seven-step proposal, which he said had been condensed to make it possible to implement within two days. He said a return to talks on Iran's nuclear program could only happen after Iran verified that all its conditions were met, and said the possibility of transferring Iran's highly enriched uranium stockpile to another country was not raised.

An official briefed on the talks said Iran's negotiators had left but not because of problems in the talks, and that a draft proposal was being circulated. Qatari mediators traveled to Tehran for talks with Araqchi on a version of a draft US-Iran deal under negotiation for eight days, the official said. US President Donald Trump said Iran wanted to make a deal and that an agreement could happen, without giving details.

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said all parties should focus on political solutions rather than arms, after meeting senior Iranian security official Ali Bagheri Kani in Beijing. China's Foreign Ministry said Wang also met Saudi Arabia's national security advisor Musaed bin Mohammed al-Aiban.