Iran Denies Immediate US Meetings
Iran on Tuesday stated it has no plans to hold any meetings with the United States in the coming days at any level, even as diplomatic engagements continue separately in Doha over the implementation of a 14-point memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at ending hostilities in West Asia. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, as quoted by state media IRIB, said Tehran is not scheduled to meet US officials in the immediate future. "Basically, we have no plans to meet with the American side at any level in the next few days," the spokesperson declared.
Technical Talks, Not Political Negotiations
Baghaei clarified that discussions scheduled in Doha are not political negotiations with Washington but rather technical-level talks linked to implementing previously agreed understandings, including issues related to frozen Iranian assets. "What will be done in Doha tomorrow is a discussion on the implementation of clauses of the memorandum of understanding, including the release of Iran's frozen assets, which is with the Qatari side," he stated. He further emphasized that Iran would continue to honor its commitments only if the other parties do the same: "We will implement our commitments as long as the other side implements its commitments." Baghaei added that the MoU clearly defines the obligations of all parties and reiterated Iran's position that the United States has responsibilities under the agreement framework.
Qatar Confirms Mediation Role
Earlier, Qatar's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Mohammed Al-Ansari said the discussions in Doha are part of broader mediation efforts involving multiple regional concerns, including Iran-related talks. He clarified that US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Senior Adviser to US President Donald Trump Jared Kushner are currently in Doha to meet mediators and Qatari officials and are not engaged in direct negotiations with Iranian representatives. "The US envoys Mr Steve Witkoff and Mr Jared Kushner are here in Doha to meet with the mediators and Qatari officials, and the talks will be around all regional issues which are of concern, including negotiations with Iran," Al-Ansari said, stressing that "they are not here for direct negotiations with the Iranians."
Technical Teams Driving Progress
Al-Ansari further clarified that the ongoing process involves technical-level engagement rather than high-level political negotiations after the initial round of talks as part of the 14-point MoU, with both sides agreeing to establish a High-Level Committee and a roadmap towards a final agreement within 60 days in Switzerland earlier this month. "The technical teams are the ones coming in and out of Doha and other locations for this. So this reference is probably to the technical team that is involved in the talks with the mediators in pushing a lot of these technical issues forward," he said. "It's not a high-level delegation as I stated earlier; it's the technical side of the negotiations," Al-Ansari added, noting that teams move between Doha and other locations depending on progress.
Frozen Assets Remain Contingent on Negotiations
On the issue of Iranian assets, the Qatari official noted that the USD 6 billion in frozen Iranian funds has not yet been transferred to Tehran, adding that any such movement would depend on the progress of negotiations. He said the release of funds would proceed "according to the advancement of negotiations," underscoring that financial arrangements remain linked to ongoing diplomatic developments.
