Iran rejects Trump claim that Doha talks are planned
Tehran said no US meetings are scheduled after Trump claimed Iran requested talks in Qatar following recent strikes.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
3 min read
Iran denied any planned talks with the United States after President Donald Trump said Tehran had requested a meeting in Doha, Al Jazeera reported. The conflicting accounts matter because they follow recent exchanges of strikes and come as tensions persist over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump said American and Iranian officials would meet in the Qatari capital on Tuesday, according to Al Jazeera. He said Iran had asked for the talks but gave no further details, the network reported.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry rejected that account, saying no meetings with the United States were planned “at any level” in the coming days, according to Al Jazeera. The ministry did say an Iranian expert delegation would travel to Doha this week for work tied to the implementation of a memorandum of understanding signed on June 17.
That delegation will follow up on provisions of the agreement, including the release of frozen Iranian assets, Al Jazeera reported, citing Iran’s Foreign Ministry. Iran’s position leaves open technical contact in Qatar while denying direct political talks with Washington.
Memorandum under strain
Al Jazeera reported that the June 17 memorandum of understanding brought in a ceasefire after recent hostilities. The network also reported that Iran had fired on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz in recent days and that the United States struck Iranian sites in response.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian criticised what he called Washington’s “unreasonable boasting” and “unfounded threats,” according to Al Jazeera. He said Tehran would meet its obligations under the memorandum if the United States complied with it.
Iran has also insisted that vessels using the Strait of Hormuz coordinate with the Revolutionary Guard, Al Jazeera reported. Tehran says the safest routes run near Iran’s Hormuz and Larak islands, close to the country’s southern coast, according to the network.
Hormuz demining dispute
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi rejected plans by Oman and France to begin demining operations in the Strait of Hormuz, Al Jazeera reported. He warned France against what he called “provocations” in a “sensitive and complex situation,” according to the network.
The Strait of Hormuz was a central point in the latest updates because of Iran’s stated controls on shipping and the reported attacks on vessels. Al Jazeera did not report further details from Trump about the proposed Doha meeting or who would attend.
Gaza and Lebanon attacks reported
Al Jazeera also reported continuing Israeli military action in Gaza and Lebanon. The network said Israeli forces killed at least eight Palestinians in Gaza, including two children.
In southern Lebanon, Israeli forces struck the area between Qantara and Deir Seryan, according to Al Jazeera. The network reported the attack despite an agreement with the Lebanese government to end hostilities.
Al Jazeera’s coverage also noted previous Israeli airstrikes in Tyre, southern Lebanon, including damage near the Al-Bass Roman ruins, a UNESCO World Heritage site. A Reuters file image cited by the network showed damaged buses outside the site after a June 25 strike.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.