Iran Rejects Trump's Claim of Planned US Talks in Doha, Says No Meeting at Any Level

 

TEHRAN: Iran has rejected US President Donald Trump's claim that Tehran requested a meeting with American officials in Doha on Tuesday, with the foreign ministry saying no talks with the United States are planned "at any level" in the coming days, according to Iranian state media.

Main News Report

• Trump's claim: Writing on Truth Social on Monday, Trump said: "IRAN HAS REQUESTED A MEETING. IT WILL TAKE PLACE TOMORROW IN DOHA!" — presenting the gathering as a step toward resolving the dispute over the Strait of Hormuz, Naharnet and AFP reported.
• Iran's denial: Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told a press briefing: "There will be no negotiation meeting with the American side at any level in the coming days," Iran's IRIB state broadcaster reported. He said an Iranian expert delegation would travel to Doha only to follow up on implementation of the interim memorandum of understanding — including the release of Iran's frozen assets — and that any visit by US representatives to Qatar would be unrelated.
• Negotiator's denial: Senior Iranian negotiator Kazem Gharibabadi, quoted by IRNA, said no technical meetings of the working groups were planned for the current Iranian week, which ends on Friday, and that reports of Doha technical talks were "not confirmed".
• Washington's delegation: White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News that special envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner were flying to Qatar, while the US news site Axios reported, citing officials, that a meeting on the Hormuz dispute was planned for Tuesday.

Background Context

The confusion over Tuesday's meeting follows days of mounting hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world's traded oil and gas moved before the war began. After four days of trading strikes, both sides appeared to pause their attacks on Monday, Naharnet reported.

Earlier this month, the United States and Iran agreed a 14-point interim deal under which Tehran would dilute its stockpile of enriched uranium, Washington-backed oil sanctions would be waived, and traffic through the Strait of Hormuz would flow freely — with both sides given 60 days to hammer out broader agreements. The weekend's attacks across the Gulf tested that fragile arrangement, and confusion has mounted over the next round of talks, with Qatar and Pakistan acting as key mediators. The most recent direct discussions took place in Switzerland on June 21, according to AFP.

Reactions and Statements

President Donald Trump: At the White House on Monday, Trump said: "There'll be a meeting on that tomorrow in Doha... we'll see how that goes," defining the objective as "the denuclearisation of Iran", according to AsiaNet News.

Esmaeil Baghaei, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman: "Basically, we have no plans to meet with the American side at any level in the next few days," he said, stressing Iran would honour its commitments only if the other side honoured theirs.

President Masoud Pezeshkian: Announced on Monday that $6 billion of the $12 billion in frozen Iranian assets held in Qatar would be released and returned, calling the interim deal "a great victory for the Iranian people", IRNA reported. He also said oil and petrochemical sanctions had been lifted under the agreement.

Qatar's foreign ministry: Spokesman Majed Mohammed Al-Ansari said the discussions in Doha were part of broader mediation efforts involving multiple regional concerns, the Times of Oman reported.

Pakistan: As a key mediator between Washington and Tehran, Pakistan had said talks between the two sides would resume on Tuesday, Naharnet reported — a position now thrown into doubt by Iran's denial.

Why This News Matters

• Ceasefire credibility at stake: The public contradiction between Washington and Tehran over a basic fact — whether talks are even happening — exposes how fragile the interim deal has become after the weekend's strikes.
• Energy markets on edge: The Strait of Hormuz remains the world's most important oil shipping lane. Brent crude futures were trading near $110 a barrel as investors weighed the risk of renewed disruption, Reuters reported.
• Pakistan's mediator role tested: Islamabad brokered the ceasefire announced in April and the June memorandum signed in the Pakistani capital. A collapse of the Doha process would land squarely on Pakistan's diplomacy — and on its fuel bill, with Pakistan already seeking urgent LNG cargoes as Hormuz tensions disrupt supplies.
• Frozen assets in play: The $6 billion release Pezeshkian announced gives Tehran a tangible win to sell at home, but the denial suggests Iran wants the money without conceding a political meeting.

Future Developments

All eyes are on Doha on Tuesday to see whether Witkoff and Kushner meet anyone from the Iranian side — or hold talks with Qatari mediators alone. Iran's expert delegation is expected in the Qatari capital this week to press on the frozen-assets file under Article 11 of the memorandum. With the Iranian working week ending on Friday, any technical talks would have to be confirmed quickly — and the 60-day window for a broader agreement keeps narrowing. If the two sides cannot even agree on whether they are meeting, the path to a lasting end to the war looks longer than either capital admits.

#Iran #USIranTalks #Doha #MiddleEast #Trump #Pakistan #BreakingNews #WorldNews