Iran announced it would hold discussions with Qatari mediators on July 1 regarding negotiations with the United States, following an agreement between Tehran and Washington on a memorandum of understanding aimed at halting the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Iranian officials are expected to travel to Doha for the meeting, although they rejected United States President Donald Trump’s statement that direct negotiations between Iran and the United States would take place. Qatar also confirmed that no senior-level meeting or direct talks between the two countries had been scheduled.
Trump had claimed on Monday that Iran requested new discussions in Qatar the following day.
“IT WILL TAKE PLACE TOMORROW IN DOHA!” he wrote.
Following Trump’s statement, his spokeswoman told Fox News that U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner “will be flying to Doha for high-level meetings this week”.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari confirmed on Tuesday that Witkoff and Kushner were in Doha but clarified that “they are not here for their negotiations with the Iranians”.
He explained that their visit was to “meet with mediators, with Qatari officials, and the talks will be around all regional issues… including, of course, negotiations with Iran, but also including Lebanon”.
According to Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei, the Iranian delegation will be headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi. Baqaei confirmed that Iran would conduct its first meeting with mediators on Wednesday.
A major point requiring resolution under the U.S.-Iran agreement involves Tehran’s control over the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, with the deal including provisions for reopening the key waterway.
Shipping activity through the strait declined over the weekend after a vessel was hit while passing through the route on Saturday.
A U.S. official said negotiations were “slated to continue on all areas of the MoU”, referring to the memorandum of understanding.
Iran has also recently engaged in discussions with Oman over what it described as the “future management” of vessels traveling through the Strait of Hormuz.
Another significant issue for Tehran is the release of Iranian financial assets frozen under extensive U.S. sanctions.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Monday that measures to release the funds were “underway”, adding that $6 billion was expected to be returned to Iran from a total of $12 billion.
Baqaei said Tuesday that discussions with Qatar would also cover the “provision concerning the release of Iran’s restricted assets”.
Since the U.S.-Iran agreement was reached, both countries have continued exchanging limited military strikes in the Gulf region.
Iran’s efforts to enforce its position over the Strait of Hormuz have led to repeated tensions.
The latest escalation occurred after U.S. Central Command announced over the weekend that it had targeted 10 Iranian military positions over what it described as “continued Iranian aggression against commercial shipping”.
Iran responded by saying it had carried out strikes on U.S. bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, actions that were condemned by both countries.
Iran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said in a televised interview on Tuesday that “when a war of this magnitude comes to an end… it is inevitable that there will be implementation challenges, incidents, and differences of opinion, especially where parties such as the Israeli regime are concerned”.
He added that Iran’s delegation would concentrate on implementing provisions related to the fighting in Lebanon and the Strait of Hormuz.
“Naturally, the Islamic Republic is committed to ensuring that the agreement is implemented, and the enemy, the United States and its ally — must also fulfil their commitments,” he said.
Despite the recent exchanges, tensions appear to have eased in the days before the planned talks in Qatar.
In Lebanon, clashes between Israel and Hezbollah have also remained relatively limited in recent days.
Tehran has maintained that any agreement must include an end to the parallel conflict and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, where Israeli troops have occupied parts of the area.
A reduction in fighting in Lebanon began shortly after the announcement of the Iran-U.S. agreement.
