Tehran says ‘no technical meetings’ with US in coming days
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi on Monday denied reports that Iranian and American technical teams will meet in the coming days in Qatar to discuss the implementation of a recent memorandum of understanding reached between Tehran and Washington to end war on Iran.
"No technical meetings of the working groups are planned for this week," Gharibabadi told reporters, referring to the Iranian week ending on Friday.
He added that consultations with Qatar are continuing, including efforts to follow up on the implementation of the opposite side’s commitments under the Islamabad memorandum of understanding (MoU).
“The first round of technical talks within the framework of the designated working groups will be held once conditions are met and after agreement is reached on the date and venue,” the Iranian diplomat emphasized.
Citing US officials, American news site Axios reported on Sunday that Tehran and Washington would hold a meeting in Qatar on Tuesday to resolve their dispute over the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
It came after the US and Iran reportedly agreed to "stand down" following an exchange of strikes around the Strait of Hormuz over the past few days.
Traffic in the Strait of Hormuz fell during the tit-for-tat strikes, slowing the recovery of a waterway through which 20% of the world’s crude oil once flowed.
A US official told the CBS News on Sunday that vessels would be able to move through the Persian Gulf waterway "freely," and that talks on a deal to permanently end the war would continue.
US President Donald Trump also claimed on Monday that a meeting would be held in Qatar's capital at Iran's request.
"IRAN HAS REQUESTED A MEETING. IT WILL TAKE PLACE TOMORROW IN DOHA!" he wrote on Truth Social, without giving any details.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will attend the meeting with Iran in Doha.
“Special Envoy Witkoff and Jared Kushner will be flying to Doha for high-level meetings this week, as we continue to discuss the memorandum of understanding. On the sidelines of those high-level talks, there will be the technical talks,” she said in an interview with Fox News.
Qatar, alongside Pakistan, has acted as a mediator in talks between Iran and the United States aimed at ending the war in the Middle East.
The most recent discussions between Tehran and Washington took place in Switzerland on June 21 with the attendance of delegations from all four countries.