Steve Witkoff (R) and Jared Kushner are supposed to be in Doha on Tuesday to talk to the Iranian delegation but Iran says nothing is planned
Here is the latest-
- US and Iranian officials are due to meet in Qatar’s capital on Tuesday after Tehran “requested talks” following days of reciprocal attacks that threatened their interim deal, according to President Donald Trump.
- However, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei says the Iranian delegation is not currently scheduled to hold talks with the US and is only visiting Qatar to advance efforts to secure the release of frozen assets.
- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says Tehran will fulfil its obligations under the MoU if Washington does the same.
- Demining the Strait of Hormuz is solely Iran’s responsibility, and the country will not allow anyone else to join the effort, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi says.
- Ever since the signing of the MOU , Iran has been contradicting every statement Trump made . There is a ‘mismatch’ between how Iran and US interpret the MoU according to analysts
- At least 400,000 displaced Lebanese have returned home, reducing the number of people still living in shelters from 37,000 to 13,000, according to Lebanon’s Minister of Social Affairs, Hanine El Sayyed.
Who is saying what about the talks in Qatar?
- Trump claims Iran requested a meeting that will be held in Qatar on Tuesday.
- White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told US media that Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s adviser and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, “will be flying to Doha for high-level meetings this week”.
- Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, however, says that no meetings have been scheduled with the US in the coming days.
- Esmaeil Baghaei, the Foreign Affairs spokesman, says the delegation charged with negotiating with Washington will visit Doha, but will instead focus on “implementing the provisions of the memorandum of understanding”.
Iran’s Pezeshkian says Iran won’t operate under threats
President Pezeshkian has been saying all along, and since the signing of the MoU, that the relationship between the US and Iran should be on the basis of parity, that there is no way the US should deal with Iran as if Iran has been defeated in this war, and that it isn’t going to work according to threats.
That’s the gist of his statement, saying that understanding is mutual and that if the Americans comply with the provisions of the MoU, Iran will do its share of that compliance.
Iran doesn’t want other countries involved in Hormuz mine clearance
Responding to Macron’s comment that France is prepared to get involved in demining efforts in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson says that Iran has refused to allow any other country to participate in these efforts.
Baghaei says that Iran is capable of doing it and that, as per the MoU, it has the authority to do so.
The Iranians are probably also concerned about any intervention or help from a foreign country, particularly European countries, which align themselves mostly with the US.
Iran undermining Oman
Baghaei spoke about Omani cooperation, particularly regarding ship routes. He said that if Oman doesn’t want to cooperate in that respect, Iran will take its own measures to make sure it is implemented. Baghaei also suggested that there should be a redefinition of the strait’s passage lanes. That is a commentary about the recent Omani cooperation with the International Maritime Organisation, opening a new or an alternative path that goes through Omani waters and avoids Hormuz’s Iranian side.
This is viewed with a lot of concern here and is considered something that could undermine Iran’s strongest card in this conflict, which is its control over the strait.
AL JAZEERA
