DOHA, May 12. /TASS/. Despite a complicated negotiating process between the United States and Iran, both countries are committed to putting end to the armed conflict, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Tuesday.

"The negotiations are quite complex. But I want to point to some positives. Both sides actually want to end the war," Fidan said at a joint press conference with Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.

"They want to open the Strait of Hormuz and solve the problem of blocked vessels. This is their position and intention," he continued. "The problem is how to word it and document it on paper in a way that the parties can agree to. Currently, the exchange of messages between the parties continues."

A return to hostilities, according to Fidan, "will only lead to more destruction."

"Preventing the Strait of Hormuz from being used as a weapon is extremely important for regional security, stability as well as for the global economy. In this regard, we support all efforts to ensure safe passage of vessels and avert a return to the current situation in the future. We are participating in these efforts and our priority is a peaceful and diplomatic solution," the Turkish top diplomat noted.

The United States and Israel launched a military operation against Iran on February 28. Tehran decided to close the Strait of Hormuz to ships associated with the US, Israel and countries that backed the aggression against Iran. On April 7, Washington announced a "double-sided" two-week ceasefire with Iran.

On April 11, the parties held several rounds of talks in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad. According to both Tehran and Washington, they were unable to reach a long-term settlement to the conflict due to multiple disagreements.

On April 21, US President Donald Trump announced that Washington intended to extend the ceasefire with Iran, which was set to expire in a few hours. The Iranian State Television announced later that Tehran did not intend to recognize the unilateral extension of the ceasefire announced by Washington and would act in line with its interests.