The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday edition that United States and Iranian negotiators met separately with Qatari and Pakistani mediators, reporting "positive progress" and agreement to continue talks, according to Qatar. An Associated Press dispatch to The Globe reports that the next meeting will be scheduled soon after the funeral of Iran's former supreme leader, set for Saturday in Tehran. U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were in Qatar for talks seeking a permanent end to the war, along with Iran's top negotiator, Kazem Gharibabadi. Negotiators aim to nail down specifics to pave the way for an agreement, though differences over the Strait of Hormuz and Lebanon loom large. A ship ran aground in the strait while using a route not approved by Iran, it was reported Wednesday. The vessel was identified as a foreign container ship, with no other details. The report emphasized Tehran's claims over the strait, viewed as an international waterway, through which a fifth of the world's oil and natural gas flows in peacetime. Since the conflict arose, Iran has used its ability to choke off the waterway as a key source of leverage, disrupting global markets for energy and other critical goods.