President Donald Trump mentioned to reporters in the Oval Office that the upcoming meeting scheduled in Qatar between the United States and Iran this week "might be significant, or it might not be."
Trump previously stated that Iranian authorities had requested a meeting, set to occur Tuesday in Doha, while Tehran announced that a technical delegation would visit Qatar this week to follow up on the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding with the United States.
Trump's announcement followed unprecedented bilateral talks between Iran and Oman about managing the Strait of Hormuz post-conflict and amid an agreement between Washington and Tehran to halt reciprocal attacks that resumed last weekend.
The US president posted on his "Truth Social" platform, stating, "Iran requested a meeting. It will occur tomorrow in Doha."
Subsequently, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt noted that envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner "will head to Doha for high-level meetings this week." A diplomat familiar with the negotiations told AFP that "technical teams will meet in the coming days," adding that communication channels to address issues "remain operational."
An American official informed AFP that "technical talks are expected to continue regarding all facets of the Memorandum of Understanding," adding that "both sides will cease their (attacks) for now, and ships can move freely in the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding areas."
Meanwhile, Iran denied plans for holding technical-level talks with the Americans, asserting, via Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ismail Baghaei, that a "specialist delegation will travel to Doha later this week."
He emphasized that the visit's purpose is to "pursue the implementation of commitments under the Memorandum, including Article XI (release of frozen Iranian assets)."
Additionally, he confirmed that "we will not hold any negotiation meetings with the US at any level in the coming days," highlighting that Tehran's delegation visit aims to "follow up on the implementation of commitments under the Memorandum, including Article XI."
The first negotiation round between Iran and the US in Switzerland, mediated by Qatar and Pakistan, concluded on June 21.
During the negotiations, technical details concerning the implementation of the 14-article Memorandum of Understanding were discussed.
Then, the Qatari and Pakistani foreign ministries stated jointly that both parties agreed to establish a high-level committee to oversee the political aspects of mediation efforts as per the signed Memorandum.
The statement highlighted that both sides reached a roadmap aiming for a final agreement within 60 days.
On June 18, Iran and the US reached a Memorandum of Understanding, specifying the cessation of combat, the lifting of the US maritime blockade on Iran, and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.