Conflicting statements emerged Monday over the next round of US-Iran talks, as Washington signaled that meetings would take place in Doha while Tehran said no technical working-group talks had been scheduled for this week.
The uncertainty comes after weekend strikes between the two sides threatened to derail a fragile interim peace deal signed on June 17 to end months of conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
A source with knowledge of the discussions told Reuters that Iranian and US technical teams working on the implementation of the interim peace deal are expected to meet in Doha in the coming days.
The source said mediators had established communication channels to de-escalate incidents and that technical talks were set to continue.
A senior Iranian source also told Reuters that a meeting would be held in Doha on Tuesday, but said the focus would be different from previous technical talks in Switzerland.
According to the source, the Doha discussions would focus on managing the Strait of Hormuz and reducing tensions rather than broader technical issues.
White House confirms high-level meetings
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would fly to Doha for high-level meetings with Iran.
Speaking to Fox News, Leavitt said technical talks would be held on the sidelines of the high-level discussions.
She added that US President Donald Trump wants the peace process to move forward and “play out.”
Tehran denies technical talks scheduled
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi rejected media reports claiming that technical talks between Iran and the United States would be held in Doha this week.
Gharibabadi, who serves as Iran’s deputy foreign minister and senior negotiator, said reports about technical working-group meetings in Doha “are not confirmed,” according to Iran’s state news agency IRNA.
“Technical meetings of the working groups are not scheduled for this week,” he said.
Consultations with Qatar continue
Gharibabadi said consultations with Qatar were continuing as usual, including discussions on following up the implementation of commitments made by the other side under the recently signed memorandum of understanding.
He said the first round of technical discussions within the designated working groups would be held once conditions are met and both sides agree on the date and venue.
The Iranian official added that consultations on these arrangements are continuing through mediator countries.
Also Read: Iran calls for security framework with Gulf after US strikes
His remarks came after several international media outlets, including Reuters and Al Mayadeen, cited US officials as saying technical negotiations between Tehran and Washington would resume in Doha in the coming days.
Those reports said the talks were expected to cover all provisions of the bilateral memorandum of understanding, including navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
MoU aimed to end four months of conflict
The United States and Iran signed a 14-point memorandum of understanding on June 17 to help end four months of conflict.
Under the accord, both sides agreed to cease hostilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy route through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas typically passes.
The closure of the waterway had pushed oil prices above $100 a barrel, fueling a renewed spike in global inflation and creating political pressure for President Trump by raising fuel prices months before midterm elections.
The agreement is intended to open the way for 60 days of more detailed negotiations on difficult issues, including Iran’s nuclear programme. However, both sides have offered conflicting accounts of what was agreed under the memorandum.
Also Read: Iran says $6bn in frozen assets to be released by Qatar
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Monday that $6 billion out of $12 billion in Iranian assets frozen in Qatar would be released and returned to Iran following the accord.
Iranian state media reported that Pezeshkian described the memorandum, which includes waivers for sanctions on Iran’s oil and petrochemical sectors, as “a great victory for the Iranian people.”
A senior Iranian source said Doha and Tehran were in the final stages of agreeing on technical details for the release of the first $6 billion, which would be issued in two tranches.
US official says hostilities paused
A US official told Reuters on Sunday that Iran and the United States had agreed to stop recent hostilities.
“Technical talks are slated to continue on all areas of the MoU. Both sides will stand down for now and vessels can move freely,” the official said.
Oil prices steadied around $72 a barrel for Brent crude on Monday following reports of a return to diplomacy.
ING analysts warned that market calm appeared unusual given the high risks still facing oil supply, saying, “This complacency is odd.”
Weekend strikes raise tensions
A return to talks would follow several days of strikes and counterstrikes that began after an Iranian projectile hit a cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday.
Both Washington and Tehran accused each other of violating the interim ceasefire.
Iran launched missiles and drones at US military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain early Sunday, shortly after Trump issued a fresh warning to Tehran.
“There may come a point when we are no longer able to be reasonable, and will be forced to militarily complete the job that we very successfully started,” Trump wrote on social media.
Also Read: Iran, US agree to halt attacks and renew talks: US official
“If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist!” he added.
About an hour after Trump’s post, Kuwait’s army said its air defenses were responding to missile and drone attacks, while Bahrain reported that sirens had sounded there.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said US strikes had violated the ceasefire and warned that American bases in the region would “experience hell in the coming days.”
Lebanon deal faces uncertainty
Meanwhile, uncertainty also surrounded a US-brokered agreement between Lebanon and Israel aimed at halting a parallel war there.
Lebanon’s Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a key ally of Iran-backed Hezbollah, warned Monday that the agreement could lead to attempts to divide the Lebanese people and said it would not be implemented.
The latest round of conflict in Lebanon began after Hezbollah struck Israel early in the wider war, saying it was acting in support of Iran.
Also Read: Israel destroys Hezbollah underground infrastructure in Lebanon
Israel’s response has caused mass displacement and more than 4,000 deaths in Lebanon.
Tehran has said ending the Lebanon conflict and ensuring the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon are integral parts of any deal with Washington to end the wider war that began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.
Israel said Sunday it struck Hezbollah and destroyed underground infrastructure, following another strike on Saturday that came soon after the latest ceasefire deal with Lebanon on Friday.
