US, Iran officials hold indirect talks in Doha

Indirect talks in Doha between officials from the United States and Iran aimed at ending the Middle East war have started, a diplomat with knowledge of the talks told AFP on Wendesday.

The diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive talks, confirmed negotiations were underway after they earlier said the US and Iran were to hold "indirect technical talks on Wednesday in Doha with Qatari and Pakistani mediators".

The Doha talks are based "on the memorandum of understanding, building on the progress made at the Lake Lucerne Summit," the diplomat said, referring to recent talks in the Swiss resort town and the negotiating framework endorsed by the two sides in June.

US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are not taking part in the technical talks, the diplomat added, after they met with Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Tuesday.

Both the US and Iran had said they would send officials for meetings in Qatar. The US-Iran memorandum of understanding, brokered by Qatar and Pakistan, includes a 60-day ceasefire in the war that started with US-Israeli strikes on February 28, the reopening of the blockaded Strait of Hormuz and a timeframe for a final deal to end the war and reach an agreement on Iran's nuclear programme.

Iranian officials were set to travel to Doha on Wednesday but Tehran denied an earlier claim by US President Donald Trump that there would be direct talks.