US and Iranian delegations in Qatar, no bilateral meeting confirmed

Published at : 30 June 2026, 10:17 am
US and Iranian delegations in Qatar, no bilateral meeting confirmed
The Iranian delegation led by Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Speaker of the Parliament of Iran (center) arrives to meet with the Pakistani delegation led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (not pictured) on June 21, 2026 in Obbuergen, Switzerland.

Iran announced it would send a delegation to Qatar on Tuesday for technical meetings, while stressing there would be no direct negotiations with the other side, report AP and AFP. 

Meanwhile, Washington said envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would travel to Qatar "this week" to take part in high-level meetings. 

US and Iranian delegations in Qatar

The US and Iran have a roughly mid-August deadline to reach a permanent peace deal including an agreement on Iran's disputed nuclear program.

What's ahead are technical talks involving lower-level diplomats before any return to the table by top negotiators. Mediators are eager to get going. Pakistan, a key mediator along with Qatar, has said talks would resume Tuesday.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News on Monday that envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, were flying to Qatar to meet with the Iranians and that technical negotiations would occur on the sidelines.

Later, Iranian state media cited Baghaei as saying an expert delegation will travel to Qatar this week but with no planned US meetings.

Meanwhile, Lebanese state media said an Israeli strike hit the country's south, despite a framework accord signed by the two countries last week aimed at securing a peace deal.

US ​President ​Donald Trump on Monday ​told ‌reporters in ‌the Oval Office that the ​US-Iran meeting ‌in Qatar ‌this ​week will be "perhaps important, perhaps not".

The removal ​of mines from the Strait ​of Hormuz is to be carried out solely by Iran ​according to ‌the Islamabad MoU between Tehran and Washington, ‌Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said in a post on X on Monday, in ​response to French President ‌Macron's comments on the subject.

There's plenty to discuss, including arrangements around the Strait of Hormuz, sanctions waivers on Iran and the future of Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

END/ASA

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