US and Iranian officials will hold indirect lower-level technical talks with mediators on Wednesday on a deal aimed at permanently ending the Middle East war, a diplomat with knowledge of the talks said.

"US and Iranian officials are to hold indirect technical talks on Wednesday in Doha with Qatari and Pakistani mediators on the memorandum of understanding and building on the progress made at the Lake Lucerne Summit," the diplomat said.

US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff would not be 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.

Word of the talks came as Iranian state television reported that a ship ran aground in the Strait of Hormuz after not running the country’s approved route through the water.

The report identified the affected vessel as a foreign container ship, but offered no other immediate details.

It said shippers needed to follow the instructions of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard in the strait.

The announcement comes as tensions have grown over the strait, which was supposed to be open to vessels to travel freely in and out of under an interim deal between Iran and the United States. (AFP & AP)



Edited by Edmond Fong