Iran’s president on X:
- Understanding is a bilateral matter, if the U.S. side adheres to the MOU, we will also fulfill our obligations
- Our approach to ‘unreasonable boasting and unfounded threats’ is to rely on rationality and human dignity in decision-making and ‘decisive and fearless defense’ when taking action
Meanwhile, where we at? In brief:
Iranian and American negotiating teams both travel to Doha this week, but Tehran insisted no direct talks between the two sides were planned, casting fresh doubt over the durability of last month’s ceasefire agreement.
Iran’s foreign ministry said its technical delegation’s presence in Qatar had no connection to the parallel American visit, and that no meetings at any level with the United States would take place in the coming days. Washington is sending Jared Kushner and envoy Steve Witkoff to lead its delegation. A senior Iranian official suggested some indirect engagement through Qatari and Pakistani mediators was possible, with a focus on managing shipping through the Strait of Hormuz rather than the broader nuclear and truce questions that have dominated previous rounds in Switzerland.
The confusion over whether the sides would even convene underlined how fragile the June 17 accord remains. Both countries have accused the other of violations, and the weekend saw missile and drone exchanges, with the United States bombing Iranian military facilities and Iran striking American sites in Kuwait and Bahrain. Brent crude rose close to one percent on Monday as markets absorbed the renewed tensions.
The Strait of Hormuz, which previously carried roughly a fifth of global oil trade, has remained a flashpoint. Iran has moved to charge transit fees for vessels using the waterway and claimed authority over approved shipping lanes, positions that have angered Washington. French President Emmanuel Macron announced he was working with Oman to de-escalate and would join partners in clearing mines from the strait.
On the financial side, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian confirmed that six billion dollars of frozen assets held in Qatar would be released in two tranches under the accord, which also includes American sanctions waivers on Iranian oil and petrochemicals. He characterised the memorandum as a significant win for Iran.
Lebanon added another layer of complexity, with parliament speaker Nabih Berri warning that a separate US-brokered Israel-Lebanon agreement could seek to divide the country and would not be implemented.
This article was written by Eamonn Sheridan at investinglive.com.