Trump says Iran requested meeting in Doha, Tehran denies talks planned this week as ceasefire strains

Contradictory accounts of Doha talks

On Monday, US President Donald Trump claimed on Truth Social that Iran had requested a meeting, to be held Tuesday in Doha. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said technical talks on the Strait of Hormuz would take place on the sidelines of high-level negotiations involving envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

“IRAN HAS REQUESTED A MEETING. IT WILL BE HELD TOMORROW IN DOHA!”

However, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi denied that any technical group discussions are scheduled this week. He stated that consultations with Qatar continue, but reports of talks starting in Doha are false. The first round of technical talks will occur once conditions, date, and venue are agreed through mediators.

Recent escalation threatens the truce

The dispute follows a sharp escalation last week. On 25 June, a commercial ship was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, the first such incident since the preliminary agreement. The West blamed Iran, which did not confirm. The US responded with air strikes on Iranian targets. Over the following days, both sides exchanged fire.

On 28 June, Iran launched missiles and drones at US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, damaging a residential building. Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps threatened to "completely halt" all diplomatic processes, accusing the US of violating the ceasefire.

The preliminary peace framework

The war began on 28 February with a US-Israeli offensive. After four months, the US and Iran accepted a preliminary agreement on 17 June, signed by Presidents Trump and Masoud Pezeshkian. The deal provides for opening the Strait of Hormuz, ending the US blockade of Iranian ports, and establishing four working groups led by technical teams from the US, Iran, Qatar, and Pakistan. The parties have 60 days to finalize a permanent settlement.

President Pezeshkian announced that $6 billion of $12 billion in frozen Iranian assets in Qatar would be released once oil and petrochemical sanctions are lifted.

Behind the conflicting signals

The Axios news site, citing US officials, reported that both sides had again agreed to halt kinetic activity and meet. One senior official said, "We decided to stop all kinetic activity." Another stated that "ships can move freely" while technical talks proceed.

However, Iran's absence from scheduled talks on Sunday, and its denial of a Tuesday meeting, suggest deep disagreements over interpretation of the preliminary deal, particularly concerning the Strait of Hormuz. Qatar's role as mediator continues as both sides posture publicly.