DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) 鈥� Two U.S. envoys arrived in Qatar on Tuesday for talks with mediators about the implementation of , an official said.
The visit by Steve Witkoff, U.S. President Donald Trump鈥檚 special Mideast envoy, and Jared Kushner, his son-in-law, comes after a weekend of over efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping traffic.
The envoys won鈥檛 be having direct negotiations with Iranian diplomats while in Qatar鈥檚 capital, Doha, said Majed al-Ansari, a spokesman for Qatar鈥檚 Foreign Ministry. Instead, mediators are working for the time being as go-betweens for the talks, which won鈥檛 include any high-level officials, he added.
The U.S. and Iran have held indirect negotiations before. However, the two previous rounds collapsed and preceded the 12-day war Israel launched against Iran in 2025 and this year’s war, launched jointly by the U.S. and Iran on Feb. 28.
Iran is also sending a delegation to Qatar this week. Iran鈥檚 Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Tuesday that Iran has had no plans for a meeting with the American side at any level in the coming days.
鈥淲hat will take place in Doha tomorrow is a discussion with the Qatari side about implementing parts of the memorandum of understanding, including the release of Iran鈥檚 blocked assets,鈥� Baghaei told journalists at his own briefing.
It is possible the two sides could exchange messages through the Qatari mediators.
The U.S. and Iran earlier this month that calls for Tehran to dilute its stockpile of enriched uranium. It also waives U.S.-backed oil , calls for free traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and gives each side 60 days to hammer out broader agreements.
Iranian President said Monday that Qatar plans to release $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive negotiations, confirmed the release amount, saying it would be used to buy U.S. food products for the Iranian people.
A fifth of the world’s oil was shipped through the Strait of Hormuz before the Iran鈥檚 attacks and threats stopped cargo ships and tankers from moving through the strait, creating a global energy crisis.
The strait has long been considered an international waterway despite being in Iran and Oman鈥檚 territorial waters.
Both sides traded strikes amid efforts last week to open Oman鈥檚 territorial waters in the strait to both inbound and outbound ship traffic from the Persian Gulf. That raised concerns that negotiations to formally end the war could be disrupted.
Iran twice attacked vessels in the strait 鈥� including a tanker filled with Qatari crude 鈥� and drew retaliatory American airstrikes. Iran also launched drone and missile attacks targeting and on Sunday.
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AP reporter Josh Boak in Washington contributed.
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