Trump Says Iran Asked for Doha Meeting; Tehran Denies Talks Planned

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump announced Monday that Iran has requested a meeting with the United States, scheduled for Tuesday in Doha, Qatar. “Iran has asked for a meeting, and it will take place tomorrow in Doha,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social. Tehran immediately contradicted that claim. Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, said in a statement on Telegram that “there are no plans” for direct talks this week. He added that technical discussions through working groups will only happen once conditions are met and a date and location are agreed upon. The conflicting statements come amid rising military tensions. Over the weekend, the U.S. military said it struck 10 Iranian targets, including surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defense sites, drone storage, and mine-laying capabilities near the Strait of Hormuz. The strikes followed an Iranian drone attack on a merchant vessel Thursday, which the U.S. Central Command said hit the oil tanker Kiku carrying over two million barrels of crude oil. Trump warned on Truth Social that if Iran continues to violate the ceasefire, the U.S. may be forced to act militarily. “If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will cease to exist!” he wrote. Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned the U.S. strikes as a “flagrant violation” of the U.N. Charter and the ceasefire memorandum, accusing Washington of ignoring its commitments. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will travel to Doha this week for high-level meetings. She said the U.S. is fulfilling its part of the ceasefire but warned, “Violence will be met with violence.” Despite the tensions, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian praised the provisional deal with the U.S., calling it “a great victory for the Iranian people.” He claimed that $6 billion of $12 billion in frozen Iranian assets held in Qatar will be released. However, U.S. officials say no assets have been unfrozen, and Qatar has not confirmed any transfer. Multiple media outlets, including Al Jazeera and the Financial Times, reported that talks were expected in Doha on Tuesday. The situation remains fragile, with both sides accusing each other of breaking the ceasefire.