Washington: US President Donald Trump has announced that a meeting involving Iran will take place in Doha on Tuesday, amid efforts to preserve a fragile ceasefire and advance negotiations over regional security issues.
In a post on social media on Monday, Trump said Iran had requested the meeting but did not provide further details regarding the agenda or the participants.
“Iran has requested a meeting. It will take place tomorrow in Doha,” Trump wrote in capital letters.
The announcement comes amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions between Washington and Tehran following months of conflict and recent military exchanges.
Iran says no technical talks planned
However, Iran appeared to downplay expectations surrounding the meeting.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said there were currently no plans to hold meetings between Iranian and US technical teams in Qatar this week.
According to Iran’s Tasnim news agency, Gharibabadi stated that while consultations with Qatar were continuing, reports in certain media outlets regarding technical negotiations in Doha could not be confirmed.
“Although consultations with Qatar – including on following up on the implementation of the other party’s commitments – are ongoing as usual, the news from some media outlets that technical talks by the working groups will be held in Doha cannot be confirmed,” he said.
The deputy foreign minister added that technical discussions would only take place after both sides reached an agreement on the date and venue.
“Consultations in this regard are continuing through intermediary countries,” he added.
Efforts to preserve fragile truce
The latest diplomatic developments come just 11 days after Washington and Tehran announced an interim agreement aimed at ending months of hostilities.
Earlier reports indicated that both countries had agreed to suspend all “kinetic activity” while technical negotiations continued over issues relating to the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
However, the truce quickly came under strain after both sides reportedly exchanged fresh strikes amid differing interpretations of the agreement.
Despite the tensions, senior US officials have indicated that both countries are attempting to prevent further military escalation.
One senior US official was quoted as saying, “We decided to stop all the kinetic activity.”
Another official reportedly stated that both sides had agreed to stand down “for now” and that maritime traffic would continue unhindered while discussions progressed.
Doha emerges as key venue for diplomacy
The meeting was initially expected to take place in Switzerland as part of broader negotiations concerning Iran’s nuclear programme.
However, following fresh military exchanges over the weekend, diplomats reportedly shifted the venue to Doha and narrowed the focus of discussions to resolving disputes surrounding the Strait of Hormuz.
Qatar has increasingly played the role of an intermediary in regional diplomacy and has hosted several rounds of discussions involving the United States and Iran in recent years.
While neither Washington nor Tehran has disclosed the precise agenda for Tuesday’s meeting, the talks are expected to focus on reducing tensions and preserving the fragile ceasefire that has emerged in recent weeks.
The outcome of the discussions could prove crucial in determining whether the two countries can move towards a more stable arrangement or whether regional tensions will once again escalate.