Tehran and Washington on June 29 offered conflicting messages concerning the revival of technical discussions this week, as the region anxiously awaits a back-on-track ceasefire following a brief escalation.
U.S. President Donald Trump said that Iran has requested a meeting that will be held in the Gulf state of Qatar on June 30, despite an earlier denial from Tehran that talks were planned.
"IRAN HAS REQUESTED A MEETING. IT WILL TAKE PLACE TOMORROW IN DOHA!" Trump posted on his Truth Social platform on June 29..
The Iranian Foreign Ministry denied reports that Iranian and U.S. technical teams will meet in the coming days to discuss the implementation of the deal to end the Middle East war.
Both sides have traded fire in the Gulf in recent days, testing their fragile ceasefire.
“No technical meetings of the working groups are planned for this week,” Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said, quoted by state TV.
Citing U.S. officials, American news site Axios reported on June 28 that Tehran and Washington would hold a meeting in Qatar on June 30 to resolve their dispute over the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
The most recent discussions between Tehran and Washington took place in Switzerland on June 21 with the attendance of delegations from all four countries.
Qatar, located across the Gulf from Iran, is playing a key role in the financial aspects of the negotiations.
Iran holds assets there that have been frozen due to U.S. sanctions.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, meanwhile, on June 30 that the necessary steps to unfreeze these funds were “underway.”
“In accordance with established plans, $6 billion out of the total $12 billion held in Qatar will be released and returned to the country,” he said, quoted by the presidency.
The mixed messages came as the Iranian Foreign Ministry said on June 29 that it had held the first meeting with Oman on managing the Strait of Hormuz since Tehran and Washington signed their preliminary deal to end the Middle East war.
Both Iran and Oman say they hold sovereignty over the waterway, a vital route for Gulf energy exports that Tehran blockaded during the war.
“During a trip to Muscat, the first meeting of the Joint Hormuz Committee was held,” said Gharibabadi on X, without specifying the date.
“While reviewing the current issues related to the strait, we exchanged views on the future management,” he added.
Hormuz is a narrow stretch of water separating Iran and Oman that is only about 30 kilometers (18 miles) wide.
The future of the strait has been a key sticking point during talks between Tehran and Washington to end their conflict.
Iran is considering imposing “services fees” that did not exist before the war, while the United States opposes any charges, arguing Hormuz is an international waterway.
In recent days, Oman has indicated an ambiguous stance on the issue.
