US President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran has agreed to hold peace talks in Doha, Qatar, following a weekend of tit-for-tat attacks in the Strait of Hormuz that threatened a fragile ceasefire. In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “IRAN HAS REQUESTED A MEETING. IT WILL TAKE PLACE TOMORROW IN DOHA! President DJT.”
However, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, denied any imminent negotiations, stating that the US delegation’s visit to Doha was unrelated to the Iranian delegation in 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 targeted a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz with a drone attack. US Central Command retaliated by striking Iranian military infrastructure, including surveillance systems, air defence sites, and drone storage facilities. 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 envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The US vice-president, JD Vance, credited new high-level contacts with preventing further violence. Meanwhile, commercial shipping has largely ceased using the Omani southern corridor after civilian ships were struck, with Iran warning vessels to seek approval from Tehran for passage through the northern corridor.
Oman’s foreign minister, Badr al-Busaidi, said Oman was discussing service fees for transiting the Strait with Iran, but would not charge tolls. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian claimed Qatar would release $6bn of frozen Iranian assets, though US officials denied any such release. The interim deal linking asset release to a new nuclear deal remains stalled.
In related developments, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun announced troop deployments along the southern border as part of a framework agreement with Israel. However, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israel would not withdraw from southern Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed, claiming US Centcom backing for maintaining security zones in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza.
