Iran has once again dismissed the possibility of holding talks with the United States in Doha, following statements from the US President claiming that the two nations would meet to discuss the Iranian nuclear program.
“There will be no negotiations, at any level, with the American side,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei declared on Monday night, as quoted by the IRNA news agency.
The diplomat added that the travel itinerary of US representatives “has no connection to the trip of the Iranian delegation.”
According to Baghaei, an Iranian technical team is traveling to Doha today solely to address the release of frozen assets with Qatari authorities, in accordance with the implementation of the memorandum of understanding signed with Washington on June 17 to bring an end to the war.
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The spokesman emphasized that the Islamic Republic’s priority is ensuring the execution of the memorandum’s clauses, particularly Clause 11, which outlines the release of Iranian assets.
He added that the country “has not yet entered the negotiation phase for a definitive agreement,” noting that under Clause 13, those comprehensive talks can only begin once the provisions regarding the end of the war on all fronts—including Lebanon—are implemented, alongside the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the suspension of sanctions on oil and petrochemical products, and the release of Iranian funds.
Echoing this stance, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi reiterated that “no negotiations with the United States” would take place in Doha, though he admitted that the memorandum “is moving forward in some aspects.” At the same time, he denounced alleged non-compliance related to Lebanon.
The statements from Tehran follow assertions by US President Donald Trump that White House special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would meet today in Doha with Iranian representatives to tackle the nuclear issue.
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On June 21, Tehran and Washington had agreed to a 60-day timeline to reach a definitive peace agreement encompassing Iran’s nuclear program. However, tensions have flared up significantly in recent days following Iranian attacks on shipping vessels and US airstrikes targeting military assets on Iran’s southern coast, which triggered retaliatory Iranian strikes against US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain.
These clashes mark the first direct exchange of hostilities between the two sides since the memorandum of understanding was signed by the presidents of the United States and Iran on June 17.
Under that initial memorandum, both sides committed to pursuing negotiations within a 60-day window, focusing on the future of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s nuclear program, the lifting of economic sanctions against the Islamic Republic, and the return of its frozen assets abroad.
Also today, the Iranian Foreign Ministry confirmed it has held discussions regarding the future management of Hormuz with Oman, the country situated directly opposite Iran on the strategic waterway.
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The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)—adopted in 1982 but never ratified by Tehran—guarantees the right of “transit passage” through straits used for international navigation. The Strait of Hormuz remains a critical global chokepoint, linking the Persian Gulf to the open ocean.
In addition to the friction surrounding maritime transit, the delicate diplomatic dialogue remains heavily threatened by the continuation of Israel’s offensive against the Shiite group Hezbollah in Lebanon—a territory that Tehran insisted must be covered under the broader truce agreement.
