The United States and Iran are scheduled to hold new talks in Qatar on Tuesday, President Donald Trump announced Monday. This development follows a series of reciprocal strikes over the weekend that had threatened to derail efforts to secure a permanent end to the war.
Trump announced the meeting on Truth Social, stating, “IRAN HAS REQUESTED A MEETING. IT WILL TAKE PLACE TOMORROW IN DOHA!” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later confirmed that special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner would attend “high-level meetings” in Doha alongside “technical talks.”
A source familiar with the discussions told NBC News that technical teams working on the implementation of an initial agreement between the two nations are slated to meet in Doha. The source also indicated that communication channels established for de-escalating incidents are operational and that technical talks are expected to continue.
The recent clashes were reportedly sparked by attempts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz without Iranian oversight. Iran issued warnings and launched attacks in response, aiming to maintain its control over the vital waterway. Early Sunday, Bahrain and Kuwait experienced Iranian attacks, just hours after the U.S. military reported striking multiple targets within Iran in retaliation for “continued aggression” against commercial shipping.
Tehran had previously threatened a “complete halt” to negotiations if Washington persisted with its attacks. President Trump had also issued a warning on Saturday, stating 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.”
The core of the dispute centers on control of the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran asserts it retains under a signed Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. The establishment of a new United Nations-backed route near Oman for inbound and outbound traffic had led to an increase in ships successfully navigating the strait last week. Iran, however, deemed this route unacceptable and retaliated against what it perceived as a challenge to its control over the waterway.
Earlier, a senior Iranian official, Kazem Gharibabadi, who serves as a deputy foreign minister and negotiator, denied that any talks had been scheduled, according to comments published by IRNA. He stated, “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.”
In separate remarks, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed support for an interim agreement, noting that it would facilitate the release of $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets held by Qatar.
Keir Simmons reported from Jerusalem and Alexander Smith from London.
Keir Simmons is chief international correspondent for NBC News, based in Dubai.
