US President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran has agreed to hold peace talks in Doha, Qatar, following a weekend of tit-for-tat strikes in the Strait of Hormuz. In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “IRAN HAS REQUESTED A MEETING. IT WILL TAKE PLACE TOMORROW IN DOHA! President DJT.” The announcement came after Iran targeted a cargo ship in the strait with a drone attack, prompting US retaliatory strikes against Iranian military infrastructure.
However, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, contradicted Trump’s claim, stating that US officials’ trip to Doha was unrelated to the Iranian delegation visiting the city. “We have not yet entered the stage of negotiating a final agreement … Over the coming days, we will not have any negotiation meetings with the US side at any level,” Baghaei said.
The clashes began on Saturday when Iran struck a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz. US Central Command responded with strikes on Iranian military surveillance, communication systems, air defence sites, drone storage, and minelayer capabilities. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps then launched a joint missile and drone operation targeting eight US military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain.
The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, confirmed that a US delegation to Doha would include Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner. US Vice-President JD Vance credited new high-level contacts with Iran for preventing further violence. A US official told Axios that the US had “decided to stop all the kinetic activity” ahead of the talks.
Meanwhile, the Omani foreign minister, Badr al-Busaidi, said Oman was in discussions with Iran on charging service fees for transiting the strait, including safety measures and navigation assistance, but would not explicitly charge tolls. Commercial ships have virtually ceased using the Omani southern corridor after civilian vessels were struck.
In a separate development, the Lebanese president, Joseph Aoun, said his country would deploy troops along its entire southern border as part of a framework agreement signed with Israel. The deal calls for Hezbollah to be disarmed before Israel withdraws from southern Lebanon, but Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the military would not withdraw “a millimetre” until Hezbollah is disarmed.
