The United States and Iran put out completely opposite messages on Tuesday about whether they were planning to meet for talks in Qatar. US President Donald Trump said Iran had asked for a meeting and that it would happen in Doha. But Iranian officials said no such meeting was planned and that the two countries would not be sitting down together at all.
Trump said the discussions would focus on Iran’s nuclear programme, declaring on Truth Social: “IRAN HAS REQUESTED A MEETING. IT WILL TAKE PLACE TOMORROW IN DOHA!” He did not identify the participants but the United States planned to send presidential envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to lead its delegation.
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(Photo: @realDonaldTrump)
- What the US said: Trump told reporters in Washington that the proposed Doha talks were aimed at the denuclearisation of Iran. “We don’t want them to have a nuclear weapon —and they’re not going to have a nuclear weapon. They’ve agreed to that in all fairness,” he said. A US official confirmed that technical talks were slated to continue through the week as part of the broader interim memorandum of understanding between the two sides.
- What Iran said: Tehran rejected Trump’s characterisation. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said no negotiations with Washington were planned and that there would be no discussions between the two countries at any level in the coming days. “There will be no negotiation meeting with the American side at any level in the coming days,” Baghaei said.
Latest developments
- Ceasefire under strain: US and Iran agreed to a temporary ceasefire Monday after Trump threatened escalation. Weekend missile and drone strikes had disrupted Strait of Hormuz trade for days.
- Hormuz traffic rising: Ship movement through the Strait has picked up in the last 36 hours. More vessels are hugging the Omani coast, which could reduce Iran’s leverage over the route.
- Demining dispute: Iran rejected France’s plan to clear mines from the Strait. Tehran’s deputy foreign minister warned Paris against provocation and said Iran alone would handle demining.
- MOU talks continue: US and Iranian delegations will keep discussing the interim memorandum of understanding this week. Technical teams will also meet with Qatari and Pakistani mediators.
- Lebanon fighting ongoing: Clashes between Hezbollah and Israel continued over the weekend despite a ceasefire. Iran demands a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon for any final US deal.
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