Iran says officials to meet Qatari mediators in Doha tomorrow, rules out direct talks with US

-- Foreign ministry spokesman says talks include release of frozen Iranian assets, implementation of clauses under MoU

TEHRAN: Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Tuesday that Iran would meet Qatari mediators in Doha tomorrow to discuss implementation of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding, including the release of frozen Iranian assets, while ruling out direct talks with the US.

Baghaei said the Doha discussions would focus on implementing clauses of the memorandum, according to the country’s official broadcaster IRIB.

“What will be done in Doha tomorrow (Wednesday) is a discussion about the implementation of clauses of the memorandum of understanding, including the release of Iran’s frozen assets, which is with the Qatari side,” Baghaei said.

He stressed that Tehran had no plans to meet the American side in the coming days.

“Basically, we have no plans to meet with the American side at any level in the next few days,” he said.

His remarks came after Qatar said US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are in Doha to meet mediators and discuss the progress of negotiations with Iran.

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said the transfer of $6 billion out of $12 billion in frozen Iranian funds “will be agreed upon by the US and Iran,” confirming that the funds had not yet been transferred to Tehran.

The issue of frozen funds “is linked to the progress of negotiations between Washington and Tehran,” he added.

US envoy Witkoff and Kushner will be in Qatar, no meeting with Iran, Qatari official says

US envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's son-in-law ‌Jared Kushner will be in Doha to meet Qatari mediators to discuss US-Iran negotiations, but there will not be a high-level meeting between Washington and Tehran, Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday.

Additionally, the FM spokesperson stated that $6 billion in frozen Iranian funds have not been transferred to Iran, as they are subject to the 2023 agreement and earmarked for the purchase of humanitarian goods.

The spokesperson said that Qatar is coordinating with Oman on the Strait of Hormuz and the safe passage of vessels. A direct line of communication for de-escalation in the Strait of Hormuz has been used to contain confrontations over the past few days.

Responsibility for Hormuz demining primarily with Iran: Oman FM

According to Oman's Foreign Ministry, Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Albusaidi told France’s Monte Carlo Doualiya radio that “responsibility for ensuring the strait and internationally recognised shipping lanes are free of any mine-related hazards primarily rests with Iran” as per the US-Iran MoU, as per Al Jazeera.

He also affirmed Oman’s openness to contributing to regional and international efforts whenever requested. His comments come after Iranian outcry over the French president's statement on collaborating with Oman to demine the Strait of Hormuz.

Tehran said it alone has the responsibility for such operations in the waterway.

Meeting with Iran this week 'perhaps' important: Trump

US President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that, "The meeting in Doha is going to be perhaps important, perhaps not. We're going to find out."

At the same time he maintained "we're winning militarily" and repeated his condition that Iran must be stopped from producing a nuclear weapon.

Iranian and US negotiating ​teams were due in Doha this week, but Iran said on Monday no meeting had been scheduled as weekend missile fire from both sides tested the interim ceasefire ‌to end the four-month-old war.

Trump is sending his son-in-law Jared Kushner and his envoy Steve Witkoff to lead the negotiating team, according to his press secretary Karoline Leavitt. While Iran is sending its technical delegation to Qatar this week, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said this had "no relation" to the Americans' visit and no talks between the two sides were scheduled.

"We will not have any negotiation meetings at any level with the American side in the coming days," Baghaei ​said.

The disagreement over whether the sides would even meet underscored the fragility of a June 17 accord to pause a conflict that has disrupted global oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz ​and created a political headache for Trump ahead of November's congressional elections.

The US and Iran gave themselves at least 60 days to implement the 14-point memorandum of ⁠understanding to extend an April ceasefire, discuss Iran's nuclear program and negotiate a permanent truce. But progress has been halting, with each side accusing the other of violating agreed terms.

After the US and Israel attacked Iran ​on February 28, maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow chokepoint that previously carried about a fifth of the global oil trade, came to a virtual standstill.

Israel has not joined the US-Iran peace talks ​and has distanced itself from the agreement. Tensions between Washington and Tehran have complicated efforts to end fighting in Lebanon, where Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah, has cast doubt on a separate, US-brokered agreement between Lebanon and Israel aimed at halting the conflict.

Closure of the waterway sent oil prices above $100 a barrel, pushing up global inflation and putting pressure on Trump ahead of the midterm elections that will determine control of the US Congress, where some of his ​fellow Republicans have criticised the president for waging war without lawmakers' authorisation.

A senior Iranian official said there would be a meeting in Doha on Tuesday, but unlike previous technical talks between Iran and US teams in ​Switzerland, the focus would be on managing the Strait of Hormuz and de-escalating tensions.

Another official with knowledge of the plans said technical teams from the US and Iran are expected to meet separately with Qatari and Pakistani mediators ‌on Wednesday.