US envoys arrive in Doha for indirect Iran ceasefire talks
Qatar says Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff will meet mediators, while Iran sends technical officials focused on a disputed memorandum of understanding.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
3 min read
US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff arrived in Doha for indirect discussions tied to a ceasefire between Iran and the United States, according to Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The talks matter because disputes over the deal’s implementation now include shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and $6bn in frozen Iranian assets.
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed bin Mohammed al-Ansari said the US officials would meet mediators in the Qatari capital. He said no direct meetings with Iranian diplomats had been arranged.
The Qatari statement followed Tehran’s rejection of US President Donald Trump’s assertion that Iran had asked for a meeting, Al Jazeera reported. Iran said it would send a technical delegation to Doha to focus on carrying out an existing memorandum of understanding.
According to Al Jazeera, the Iranian delegation is expected to raise objections about the pace and terms of the MOU’s implementation. Al Jazeera correspondent Mohammed Vall, reporting from Tehran, said Iranian officials had concerns about several parts of the agreement, including Article 1, which covers the ceasefire in south Lebanon.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei addressed that issue on Monday, according to Al Jazeera. “America must adhere to its commitments and, if necessary, force the Zionist regime to implement its commitments,” Baghaei said.
Baghaei also said Iran would judge US compliance by the text of the memorandum. “Our criterion for measuring America’s adherence to its commitments is the text of the MOU,” he said.
Hormuz shipping dispute
Vall reported that Article 5 of the memorandum is another area of dispute. According to his account, Iran believes the provision allows it to organise traffic in the Strait of Hormuz during 60 days of negotiations before any final agreement, while the US position is that Iran should allow ships to pass freely.
Iran also objects to proposed new shipping routes near the Omani side of the strait, Vall reported. He said Tehran believes the route plan, put forward by Oman and the International Maritime Organization, was developed without Iranian coordination and violates Article 5 of the MOU.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said a dedicated hotline helped limit an exchange of fire between the US and Iran in the strait last week, Al Jazeera reported. The ministry said Doha was working with Oman to support safe passage for ships through the waterway and viewed freedom of navigation there as a priority.
The ministry also said the $6bn in frozen Iranian assets had not been transferred to Tehran. Iran had identified the release of those funds as part of the implementation issues to be addressed by its technical delegation, according to Al Jazeera.
The Doha discussions are set to remain indirect, with Qatar playing a mediation role. Al-Ansari’s comments indicate that the immediate focus is on implementation rather than a formal US-Iran meeting.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.