U.S. and Iranian Delegations Head to Qatar, Rekindling Hopes for Dialogue

The United States and Iran are moving to rekindle dialogue by sending delegations to the mediator nation of Qatar, Doha, following four days of localized clashes.

While both sides are engaging in a war of words over whether an immediate meeting will take place or if it will expand into high-level talks, they are signaling that they do not intend to close the diplomatic channels established under their memorandum of understanding (MOU) to end the conflict.

On June 29 (local time), U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Truth Social that "Iran has requested talks," and set June 30 as the date for the Doha meeting.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also appeared on Fox News and announced that Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff would travel to Doha this week for high-level talks.

Leavitt added that "technical working-level meetings will also be held in parallel with the high-level talks."

Shortly after, CNN reported, citing multiple U.S. officials, that Special Envoy Witkoff was en route to Doha.

However, it has not been immediately confirmed whether Kushner is traveling with him.

The U.S. and Iran signed an MOU to end the conflict on June 17, but the agreement was put to the test as the two sides engaged in armed clashes around the Strait of Hormuz between June 25 and 28 while conducting follow-up negotiations.

Meanwhile, the Iranian side has distanced itself from the U.S. claim that the final 60-day negotiations under the MOU would be held in Doha.

Earlier today, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi stated that there were no plans for working-level talks with the U.S. this week.

Esmail Baghaei, spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, subsequently reaffirmed that there are no plans for follow-up negotiations on the peace agreement with the U.S. in the coming days.

Nevertheless, the possibility of the U.S. and Iranian delegations making contact in some form in Doha is increasingly coming to light.

A senior Iranian official told Reuters that the U.S. and Iran would meet in Doha on June 30.

The official added that unlike the previous working-level talks held in Switzerland, this meeting would focus on the management of the Strait of Hormuz and de-escalation.

Another official cited by Reuters said that U.S. and Iranian working-level staff are expected to meet separately with mediators from Qatar and Pakistan on July 1.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Baghaei did confirm that "an Iranian delegation of experts is scheduled to be dispatched to Doha, Qatar, this week."

However, he claimed that the Iranian delegation's visit to Qatar is "to inspect the implementation status of the provisions, including Article 11 of the MOU," and that this visit is unrelated to the visit of the U.S. delegation.

With Qatar's mediation, the U.S. and Iran have agreed to halt the four days of armed conflict and resume negotiations, averting the risk of the peace MOU being nullified.

If working-level negotiations resume, there is a possibility that compromise measures will be discussed to implement the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, a prerequisite for the follow-up negotiations specified in the MOU.

The Strait of Hormuz, which appeared to be fully reopened following the U.S.-Iran peace MOU, saw tensions rise again during the clashes between the two sides.

Since a container ship passing through the Strait of Hormuz was attacked on June 25, the movement of ships using the waterway had dropped sharply.

However, as both sides agreed to cease hostilities ahead of the talks, shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has shown signs of recovery.

According to the maritime intelligence platform Kpler, approximately 24 raw material carriers, including oil tankers and bulk carriers transporting oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG), passed through the Strait of Hormuz in both directions on June 29.

Ships heading to the Persian Gulf were mainly oil tankers operated by private companies, including three very large crude carriers (VLCCs) operated by Sinokor Merchant Marine, an affiliate of the South Korean shipping company Sinokor.

These vessels entered the Persian Gulf while publicly signaling that they were moving along the coast of Oman without cargo.

As the implementation of the U.S.-Iran peace agreement and follow-up negotiations proceed precariously, Israel is adding to the tension by warning Iran of military threats.

According to the Israeli media outlet Ynet, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz told reporters today that if Iran launches missiles toward Israeli territory, Israel could wage war within two days.

He added that Mojtaba Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, is a target for attack.

Minister Katz cited another scenario in which war with Iran could resume: if President Trump decides that negotiations have ended and seeks to resume airstrikes.

Tensions between Israel and Lebanon also remain.

Although both sides signed a basic peace agreement mediated by the U.S. on June 26, Israeli strikes on Lebanon have continued.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.