Iran says final nuclear talks with US yet to begin as Doha meeting remains uncertain

DOHA/DUBAI/WASHINGTON: Iran said on Monday that negotiations with the United States on a final agreement, including over Tehran’s nuclear programme, have not yet started, casting further doubt over whether the two sides will hold direct talks in Doha this week despite both sending delegations to Qatar.

In a post on X, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran would honour its commitments if the United States adhered to the agreement, describing mutual understanding as “a two-way street.” He added that while Tehran remained committed to rationality and human dignity in its decision-making, it would respond firmly and without hesitation to what he described as unreasonable threats and intimidation when necessary.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Iran had “not yet entered the negotiation phase for a final agreement” and stressed that no meetings with the US delegation were scheduled in the coming days.

“We will not have any negotiation meetings at any level with the American side in the coming days,” Baghaei said, adding that the Iranian technical team’s visit to Qatar was unrelated to the arrival of US officials.

The comments came as Iranian and US technical teams travelled to Doha following a weekend of missile exchanges that tested a fragile interim ceasefire aimed at ending a four-month conflict.

According to the White House, President Donald Trump has dispatched his son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff to lead the US delegation. Trump acknowledged uncertainty over the planned diplomacy, telling reporters that the Doha meeting “is going to be perhaps important, perhaps not. We’re going to find out.”

The United States and Iran had agreed to a 60-day framework to implement a 14-point memorandum of understanding, extend an April ceasefire, address Tehran’s nuclear programme and negotiate a permanent settlement. However, both sides have repeatedly accused each other of breaching the agreement, slowing progress.

A senior Iranian official said discussions in Doha would instead focus on reducing tensions and managing security in the Strait of Hormuz rather than direct negotiations with the United States. Another official said Iranian and US technical teams were expected to meet separately with Qatari and Pakistani mediators.

The continued uncertainty has raised concerns over the stability of the ceasefire and the security of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global oil shipping route.

Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said $6 billion of the country’s frozen assets held in Qatar would be released, describing the agreement with Washington as “a great victory for the Iranian people.” Oil prices rose more than 1% after renewed hostilities over the weekend underscored the fragility of the truce.