Tehran lowers expectations of Trump's agreement, and negotiation enters loop mode

BeirutWhile Washington on Tuesday fueled expectations of a new diplomatic breakthrough with Iran, Doha strove to lower the tone. "It could be an important meeting. We will know later," stated the President of the United States, Donald Trump, before assuring that the United States is making "very good progress" in its efforts to dismantle Iran's nuclear program. Hours later, Tehran specified that there are no direct negotiations with Washington and that any contact is being conducted through Qatar's mediation. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not deny the movements or the continuity of contacts, but insisted that there are no direct talks between both parties.

American envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Doha on Tuesday, where they held meetings with Qatari mediators. At the same time, Iran confirmed the travel of a technical delegation to the emirate. What will not happen, as insisted by the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, Majed al-Ansari, are direct meetings between American and Iranian representatives. "They are not here to negotiate with the Iranians," he stated in reference to Washington's envoys, while ruling out any high-level meeting in the coming days.

The paradox summarizes the moment that regional diplomacy is going through. More than opening a new negotiation, Doha seeks to give continuity to the memorandum of understanding reached between both countries after the regional war in June. On the table are now the mechanisms to implement the acquired commitments and explore new areas of cooperation. However, while Washington insists on presenting the process as a diplomatic success, Tehran avoids publicly acknowledging any direct negotiation with the United States and maintains Qatar's mediation as the sole official channel.

Qatar is once again assuming a central role in this process. The emirate will be the scene of contacts that, according to its authorities, will be exclusively developed through Qatari mediators. Washington has sent its main negotiators to meet with Qatari officials, while Tehran will participate through a technical delegation responsible for addressing the implementation of the memorandum of understanding. The formula allows for dialogue to remain open without either party having to acknowledge a direct meeting.

Qatar, key role

The talks scheduled for this Wednesday will focus on the release of frozen Iranian assets, as well as nuclear, economic, institutional and security issues. The Iranian delegation dispatched to Doha is technical in nature and its presence will depend on the progress of the talks.From Tehran, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that talks with Qatari mediators on the implementation of the agreement with the United States, including the release of frozen assets, should be held this Wednesday in Doha. At the same time, it defended that Iran fully assumes its responsibilities regarding the provisions of the memorandum of understanding on the Strait of Hormuz and warned that it will respond to any breach of the agreement by Washington. "No action will go unanswered," stated spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also insisted that Tehran "will not renounce its rights, interests, or national principles" in negotiations with the United States and stressed that all contacts are being developed in coordination with the supreme leader and within the official mechanisms of the State.

Despite Washington's announcements and the nuances introduced by Tehran, Doha is once again becoming the main channel of communication between the two countries. Although neither party acknowledges the existence of direct negotiations, contacts through Qatar's mediation continue and will set the pace for the implementation of the memorandum of understanding reached after weeks of tension in the Middle East in the coming days.