US and Iran teams head to Doha, but Tehran says no talks scheduled

Iranian and US negotiating teams were expected to travel to Doha this week, although Tehran said on Monday that no meetings with Washington had been scheduled, highlighting uncertainty surrounding efforts to sustain a ceasefire after four months of conflict.

Weekend missile exchanges between the two sides tested a 17 June accord intended to halt fighting that has disrupted oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz and complicated the political landscape in Washington ahead of November congressional elections.

US President Donald Trump is sending his son-in-law Jared Kushner and envoy Steve Witkoff to lead the US delegation, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

Iran said it would send a technical delegation to Qatar, but Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the visit was unrelated to the US team's travel plans and denied that talks were planned.

"We will not have any negotiation meetings at any level with the American side in the coming days," Baghaei said.

The differing accounts over whether the two sides would meet underscored the fragility of the agreement, under which Washington and Tehran gave themselves at least 60 days to implement a 14-point memorandum of understanding aimed at extending an April ceasefire, addressing Iran's nuclear programme and negotiating a permanent truce.

Progress has been limited, with both sides accusing the other of violating agreed terms.

After US and Israeli attacks on Iran on 28 Feb., maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that previously carried about one-fifth of global oil trade, slowed sharply.

Israel has not joined the US-Iran negotiations and has distanced itself from the agreement. The tensions have also complicated efforts to end fighting in Lebanon, where Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, an ally of Iran-backed Hezbollah, has questioned a separate US-brokered agreement between Lebanon and Israel.

Disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz pushed oil prices above $100 a barrel, adding pressure on global inflation and increasing scrutiny of Trump's handling of the conflict ahead of elections that will determine control of Congress.

A senior Iranian official said a meeting in Doha was expected on Tuesday, although unlike earlier technical discussions in Switzerland, the focus would be on managing the Strait of Hormuz and reducing tensions.

Another official familiar with the plans said US and Iranian technical teams were expected to meet separately with Qatari and Pakistani mediators on Wednesday.

Uncertainty in Washington

Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, "the meeting in Doha is going to be perhaps important, perhaps not. We're going to find out."

He also said "we're winning militarily" and repeated that Iran must be prevented from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Iran has sought to strengthen its position by emphasising its role in the Strait of Hormuz, which it shares with Oman, saying it plans to charge fees for vessels using the waterway and taking action against ships operating outside designated routes.

The United States has accused Iran of striking at least two commercial ships with missiles or drones in recent days and said it carried out strikes on Iranian military facilities in response. Iran subsequently launched missiles and drones at US military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain on Sunday.

Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed members of Congress by phone on Monday.

Republican Senator Steve Daines described the discussion as "constructive," although he said the officials kept their comments limited.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer criticised the briefing.

Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer, however, called the briefing "deficient, and devoid of details."

"After dragging America into a costly war, the Trump administration still can't name a single thing Americans got in return. Instead, Secretary Rubio confirmed to me that Iran will reap billions in oil revenue while retaining dangerous leverage over the Strait of Hormuz," Schumer said.

Release of frozen assets

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Monday that $6 billion out of $12 billion in Iranian assets frozen in Qatar would be released and returned to Tehran, according to Iranian state media.

He described the memorandum, which includes US waivers on sanctions affecting Iran's oil and petrochemical sectors, as "a great victory for the Iranian people."

Oil prices rose more than 1% after weekend hostilities highlighted continuing uncertainty around the US-Iran agreement.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that he was working with Oman to reduce tensions and would co-operate with partners on demining efforts in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi later said in a post on X that demining operations would be carried out solely by Iran under the terms of the 14-point plan and warned France against complicating the situation.