United States President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran has requested a fresh round of talks with Washington following days of heightened military tensions around the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump announced on Monday that the proposed meeting would take place on Tuesday in Doha, Qatar.
“IRAN HAS REQUESTED A MEETING. IT WILL TAKE PLACE TOMORROW IN DOHA!” the US president wrote on his Truth Social platform.
However, Iranian authorities have yet to confirm that such a meeting has been scheduled.
Hours before Trump’s announcement, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister and senior nuclear negotiator, Kazem Gharibabadi, dismissed reports suggesting that technical negotiations with the United States had already been arranged in Doha.
According to Gharibabadi, consultations with Qatari officials were still ongoing, but reports claiming that working groups had been scheduled for talks were inaccurate.
The conflicting positions emerged after a weekend of renewed military exchanges between both countries, casting fresh uncertainty over the fragile interim peace arrangement reached in recent weeks.
The latest confrontation centred on the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategic shipping routes for crude oil exports.
Terms With Washington
Iran has maintained that it retains oversight of the waterway under the terms of the interim agreement with Washington. However, attempts to reopen commercial shipping routes without Iranian supervision reportedly heightened tensions between both sides.
Reports indicated that Iranian forces targeted vessels transiting the strait, prompting retaliatory US strikes on locations inside Iran. Washington said the military action was a response to continued attacks on international commercial shipping.
Iran also reportedly launched attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait early Sunday, just hours after the American strikes.
Tehran had earlier warned that continued US military operations could derail ongoing diplomatic efforts, while Trump cautioned over the weekend that Washington’s patience was not unlimited.
“There could come a point where we are no longer able to remain reasonable and may have to militarily complete the job,” the US president warned.
Despite the renewed hostilities, diplomatic efforts appear to be continuing behind the scenes.
The Peace Agreement
Sources familiar with the negotiations said both countries had agreed to temporarily suspend further military action while discussions aimed at preserving the interim agreement continued.
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The sources added that communication channels had been established to reduce the risk of further escalation, with technical teams expected to continue discussions on implementing the terms of the deal.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian recently described the interim agreement as a significant diplomatic achievement, saying it would pave the way for the release of $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets held in Qatar.
The United States and Iran remain divided over key provisions of the agreement, including the administration of the Strait of Hormuz and the release of Iranian financial assets.
With Tehran yet to acknowledge Trump’s announcement, uncertainty remains over whether the proposed talks in Doha will proceed as scheduled.