Doha meetings seek to keep US-Iran truce talks alive
Qatar hosted US envoys as Washington and Tehran disputed whether negotiations are direct, with Hormuz, frozen assets and sanctions at stake.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
3 min read
Qatar has hosted senior US figures in Doha as efforts continue to keep a fragile US-Iran diplomatic track alive, Al Jazeera reported. The talks matter because a June 17 memorandum gave Washington and Tehran 60 days to work through disputes over sanctions, frozen funds, the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear programme.
Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani met US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, according to Al Jazeera. Washington has said direct talks with Tehran will take place in Doha, while Iran has denied that account.
Al Jazeera reported that the June 17 memorandum extended a ceasefire for 60 days and set up further negotiations on unresolved issues. Since then, tensions have risen over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, US bombing of Iran, Iranian strikes on US military assets in Kuwait and Bahrain, and continuing Israeli attacks in Lebanon, according to Al Jazeera.
US officials say technical talks are continuing
US Vice President JD Vance told Fox News that the Trump administration was in a strong position whether or not negotiations succeed, Al Jazeera reported. Vance said Washington wants an agreement, while arguing that Iran is weaker and that its nuclear programme and military have been destroyed.
Vance also warned that President Trump would respond militarily if Iran attacked shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Al Jazeera. He said technical talks with Iran were under way on points included in the memorandum.
The Wall Street Journal reported, according to Al Jazeera, that Trump recently reviewed options for resuming the war against Iran and told advisers he preferred to allow diplomacy more time. The report said Trump was prepared to extend the 60-day truce if talks on Iran’s nuclear programme required it.
Iran describes the process differently
Tehran says it is not holding direct talks with the United States in Doha, Al Jazeera reported. Iranian officials say they will instead meet Qatari mediators to discuss carrying out the memorandum and releasing frozen Iranian assets.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said this week that Iran expects the United States to release $6bn in frozen Iranian funds as an initial step, according to Al Jazeera. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Iranian negotiators were expected in Doha on Wednesday for talks with Qatari officials on the funds and other parts of the memorandum.
Vance rejected Tehran’s public framing during an interview on The Michael Knowles Show released Tuesday, Al Jazeera reported. He said scheduled technical talks were taking place and described Iran’s refusal to acknowledge direct peace talks as a “Persian negotiation tactic.”
Analysts point to pressure inside Iran
Alex Vatanka, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, told Al Jazeera that scepticism inside Iran’s leadership may explain why senior Iranian officials are reluctant to appear in direct talks with Washington. He said critics inside Iran are asking whether the memorandum has produced action on frozen assets, the Strait of Hormuz and Israel’s presence in Lebanon.
Vatanka told Al Jazeera that time is narrowing for the roadmap agreed on June 17. He said senior figures such as Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf may see public appearances in Doha as a political risk at home.
Scott Uehlinger, a former CIA officer and US national security expert, told Al Jazeera that Washington is using technical talks to reduce the risk of confrontation over the Strait of Hormuz. He said US negotiators are trying to clarify what role Iran would have in the strait under the memorandum and any later agreement.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.