The story: A senior Qatari diplomat has travelled to Iran with an apparent focus on the stalled nuclear talks and a possible prisoner swap with the US. This comes as an Iranian former chief diplomat and ex-nuclear chief has called on the establishment to engage in comprehensive talks with the US.

In parallel, Ali Akbar Ahmadian has embarked on what appears to be his first foreign trip since being named as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) in May. The visit to South Africa, which follows several meetings in Tehran with top foreign officials, indicates that Ahmadian’s public profile is being elevated.

The coverage: Qatari Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi met senior officials in Tehran on July 23. His counterparts notably included Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Deputy Foreign Minister and chief nuclear negotiator Ali Baqeri-Kani, and...