US special envoy Steve Witkoff and former Trump son‑in‑law Jared Kushner arrived in Doha for high‑level meetings with Qatar’s foreign ministry and Pakistani/Qatari mediators, but they are not meeting Iranian officials, according to the foreign ministry spokesman.
Majed al‑Ansari told reporters that no direct talks between US and Iranian representatives were scheduled in the coming days. The visit follows a brief ceasefire that ended after a four‑day exchange of strikes over the Strait of Hormuz.
The strikes, triggered by a dispute over the reopening of the strait, threatened a preliminary agreement that had called for a four‑month truce between the United States, Israel and Iran. The maritime corridor handles about 20% of worldwide oil and gas shipments.
A memorandum of understanding brokered by Pakistan and Qatar less than two weeks ago committed the parties to halt operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, and to immediately reopen the strait. It also gave them 60 days to reach a final deal covering Iran’s nuclear programme, US sanctions and a permanent ceasefire.
Pakistani and Qatari mediators said progress had been made at a first round of talks in Switzerland a week ago, where US Vice‑President J.D. Vance and Iranian Parliamentary Speaker Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf attended. They also said a communication line was established to enable safe passage of commercial vessels through the strait.
The recent exchanges of strikes began when Iran attacked a cargo ship after efforts to allow vessels through Oman's territorial waters on the southern side of the strait. Iran warned that the only route was through its own waters on the northern side.
On Sunday night, a US official said both sides would "stand down for now" and that vessels could move freely in and around the strait. Technical talks would also "continue on all areas of the MoU", the official added.
The next day, Iran’s deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi denied that there were plans for technical talks that week.
US President Donald Trump responded by saying that Iran had requested a meeting in Doha on Tuesday, and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that Witkoff and Kushner would fly to Doha for "high‑level meetings".
Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman said the two US envoys had arrived for talks with mediators, but not Iranian officials. He added that talks would be around all regional issues, including the negotiations with Iran, Lebanon and other regional files, but they were not there for direct negotiations with the Iranians.
A senior Trump administration official told the BBC partner CBS News that very positive conversations had been held between Witkoff, Kushner and regional leaders, with good progress in technical talks continuing. Ansari confirmed that technical talks between lower‑ranking officials would continue this week and could later be elevated to a senior level.
When lower‑ranking officials discuss the nuclear, economic, and security tracks, Ansari said this could build a track toward senior‑level negotiations.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqai told a news conference in Tehran that Iranian officials were likely to hold talks with mediators in Doha on Wednesday to discuss the implementation of the MoU, including a provision concerning the release of Iranian assets frozen under US sanctions. He reiterated that no meeting at any level with the American side had been scheduled for the coming days.
Ansari said that the release of $6 billion of the $12 billion in frozen Iranian assets held in Qatar depended on progress in talks that had not yet taken place.
Baqai also said that Iran would "do whatever is necessary to safeguard its interests" over the Strait of Hormuz and implement related provisions in the MoU.
