Baghdad says it is mediating between Iran and the United States as regional talks multiply

An Iraqi politician said in early August that Baghdad had been acting as an intermediary between Tehran and Washington, one of several mediation tracks that have opened since the two sides exchanged limited strikes in June. Lebanese and Israeli representatives were separately reported to be preparing for talks in Rome, with Hezbollah's leader, Naim Qassem, commenting publicly on the negotiations beforehand. A memorandum of understanding reached earlier in the year had envisaged the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a waiver of US sanctions on Iranian oil exports and further talks on Iran's nuclear programme; its status remains unclear. None of the tracks has produced a public agreement.