The United States and Iran are expected to resume talks in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday, according to U.S. President Donald Trump, amid signs that both countries are seeking to ease tensions following a fresh round of military confrontations.
Announcing the development on Monday via Truth Social, Trump wrote, “IRAN HAS REQUESTED A MEETING. IT WILL TAKE PLACE TOMORROW IN DOHA!”
Iran has yet to officially respond to Trump’s statement. Earlier in the day, however, a senior Iranian official dismissed reports suggesting that technical discussions between the two sides had been scheduled.
Despite the denial, a source familiar with the negotiations told NBC News that technical teams tasked with implementing the preliminary agreement reached between Washington and Tehran are expected to convene in Doha in the coming days.
The source added that communication mechanisms established to prevent further escalation remain active and that technical-level discussions are set to continue.
The planned meeting comes after a weekend marked by heightened military exchanges that raised fears of a collapse in ongoing efforts to secure a lasting peace agreement.
The latest tensions stemmed from moves to reopen the Strait of Hormuz without Iranian supervision, a development Tehran strongly opposed.
Iran responded with threats and attacks as it sought to maintain influence over the strategically important shipping route.
Disagreements over key aspects of the proposed deal, including the future management of the strait and the release of frozen Iranian funds, further strained relations.
The situation deteriorated after Iran targeted vessels passing through the waterway.
Iranian strikes also hit Bahrain and Kuwait early Sunday, only hours after the U.S. military announced attacks on several locations inside Iran, describing the action as a response to “continued aggression” against commercial shipping.
Tehran warned that it could impose a “complete halt” to negotiations if American military operations continued.
Trump, meanwhile, intensified his rhetoric on Saturday, writing on Truth Social that “there may come a point when we are no longer able to be reasonable, and will be forced to militarily complete the job that we very successfully started.”
At the heart of the dispute is control of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran maintains that authority over the passage remains protected under a Memorandum of Understanding signed with the United States.
The creation of a new United Nations-backed shipping corridor near Oman recently increased maritime traffic through the strait, a move Tehran views as a challenge to its influence in the region.
Following the weekend hostilities, several reports cited U.S. officials as saying that both countries had agreed to suspend further attacks and continue negotiations toward a comprehensive settlement aimed at ending the conflict.
However, uncertainty remains over the status of those discussions.
Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister and a senior member of the negotiating team, rejected reports that technical meetings had been formally arranged.
“Although consultations with Qatar, including on following up on the implementation of the other side’s commitments, are continuing as usual, reports by some media about technical talks by the working groups being held in Doha are not confirmed,” he said, according to the Iranian state news agency IRNA.
Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian welcomed the interim agreement, saying it would result in the release of $6 billion in Iranian assets currently frozen in Qatar.
Describing the development as beneficial for the country, Pezeshkian called the deal “a great victory for the Iranian people,” according to comments published Monday by IRNA.
