Qatar clarifies nature of Witkoff and Kushner's visit to Doha and denies direct negotiations with Iran

The spokesperson for the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Majed Al-Ansari, announced that US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are on an official visit to the capital, Doha. Al-Ansari clarified that the purpose of this visit is to discuss the latest developments in ongoing negotiations with Qatari mediators, emphasizing that these meetings do not currently include any direct negotiation channels with the Iranian side.

The Qatari spokesperson denied any arrangements for high-level meetings between officials from the United States and Iran in Doha during this period. He also indicated that Doha does not expect the arrival of high-level Iranian delegations in the foreseeable future, affirming that the current diplomatic path focuses on traditional mediation channels led by Qatar to bridge the views between the two parties.

Regarding technical aspects, official sources revealed the continuation of technical talks between Washington and Tehran through various forms addressing thorny issues. These discussions are topped by issues of the Iranian nuclear program and the frozen Iranian funds file, with Al-Ansari confirming that the recent field escalation in the Strait of Hormuz region has not led to the suspension of these vital technical tracks.

Concerning the frozen funds file, the Qatari official explained that these amounts are exclusively allocated to finance humanitarian needs in accordance with previously concluded agreements between the two parties. The State of Qatar plays the role of a financial guarantor mediator for managing these funds, but Al-Ansari noted that a final agreement allowing the actual commencement of procedures for transferring them to the beneficiary parties has not yet been reached.

On the level of navigation security, Doha affirmed the existence of intensive daily coordination with the Sultanate of Oman and regional countries to ensure the safety of ship movement in the Strait of Hormuz. Qatar reiterated its firm stance rejecting any unilateral steps that could threaten the freedom of international navigation, considering that the utmost priority now lies in securing safe passage and removing mines, which it described as a technically complex operation.

The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed that regional stability requires the formulation of comprehensive regional solutions that take into account the security concerns of all concerned parties. Doha is conducting intensive and continuous contacts with both parties to the conflict and international mediation partners, with the aim of advancing negotiations and avoiding any slide towards comprehensive confrontations that could undermine global energy security.

For his part, US President Donald Trump indicated via his private platform that the Iranian side requested a meeting in Doha, which coincided with the White House's confirmations of Witkoff and Kushner's travel to the region. These diplomatic moves aim to follow up on the commitments of the recently reached memorandum of understanding, mediated by Qatar and Pakistan, to end the state of tension in the Middle East.

In Tehran, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed sending technical teams to Doha to follow up on the implementation of the provisions contained in the latest memorandum of understanding. The spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Ismail Baghaei, stated that the primary goal of these delegations is to ensure compliance with technical agreements, at a time when mediators are seeking to reach a final and comprehensive agreement within the specified sixty-day period.

Technical meetings between the American and Iranian sides continue in various forms, covering various issues including the nuclear program and frozen funds.