Iran and Qatar are set to hold talks on Wednesday, and the discussions will focus on the implementation of Tehran’s agreement with the US, i.e., the 14-point MoU, and the status of Tehran’s frozen assets.
The talks are being held following meetings between US envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Qatari mediators in Doha.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the talks “likely taking place in Doha” would involve consultations with the Qatari side on implementing certain provisions of a memorandum of understanding between Iran and the US, including arrangements related to the release of restricted Iranian assets.
He made it clear that Iran’s negotiating team has no plans to meet with US officials in the coming days. Iran on Tuesday refused to meet top US envoys who flew to the region for talks.
Meanwhile, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said US envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner arrived in Doha on Tuesday for meetings with Qatari mediators. The discussions focused on ongoing US-Iran negotiations and broader regional developments. However, Qatar stressed that no direct meeting between US and Iranian officials is scheduled.
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said the talks reviewed progress under the existing US-Iran diplomatic framework and efforts to promote regional stability through dialogue.
He also noted that technical-level discussions between Iran and the United States are continuing, though no high-level meetings are currently planned.
According to Qatari officials, the meeting also touched on the Lebanon ceasefire agreement, with emphasis on maintaining stability and supporting Lebanon’s sovereignty and unity, CNN reported.
The key issue is that around $6 billion in frozen Iranian funds have not yet been transferred to Tehran, with Qatar stating that the release would depend on the progress of ongoing negotiations.
Notably, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said that $6 billion in Iranian funds held in Qatar would be unfrozen and transferred to Tehran.
The memorandum signed remotely on June 18 between Iran and the United States has outlined timelines for restoring maritime access in the Strait of Hormuz and lifting restrictions on Iranian shipping.
Iranian officials have made it clear that the US and Iran must sort out the terms of a “ceasefire under which the MoU was signed on June 18” before they can tackle more difficult topics, such as possible limits to its nuclear program.
The diplomatic activity in Doha comes amid wider regional discussions, including proposals delivered by Oman to the United States and allies regarding maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz, according to regional diplomatic sources.
Iranian top negotiator Mohammed Baqer Qalibaf said on state TV that “the sovereignty of the Strait of Hormuz lies with Iran and Oman, and traffic in the Strait is subject to arrangements determined by Iran.”
Meanwhile, US Vice President JD Vance rejected that position in an interview on The Michael Knowles Show, saying Iran would not be allowed to impose tolls on shipping through the strategic waterway. “This is not going to end in a place where the Iranians are collecting tolls on ships going through the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.
Meanwhile, tensions remain in Lebanon despite a US-brokered agreement signed last week, after the Israeli military conducted strikes targeting a Hezbollah operative in southern Lebanon.
