Iran says no technical meeting expected with US in coming days

TEHRAN: Iran’s foreign ministry on Monday denied reports that Iranian and American technical teams will meet in the coming days to discuss the implementation of the deal to end the Middle East war.

Both sides have traded fire in the Gulf in recent days, testing their fragile ceasefire.

“No technical meetings of the working groups are planned for this week,” Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said, quoted by state TV, referring to the Iranian week ending on Friday.

Citing US officials, American news site Axios reported on Sunday that Tehran and Washington would hold a meeting in Qatar on Tuesday to resolve their dispute over the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

CNN reported similar comments from a Trump administration official, though the White House has not issued an official statement.

Qatar, alongside Pakistan, has acted as a mediator in talks between Iran and the United States aimed at ending the war in the Middle East.

The most recent discussions between Tehran and Washington took place in Switzerland on June 21 with the attendance of delegations from all four countries.

Qatar – located across the Gulf from Iran – is playing a key role in the financial aspects of the negotiations.

Iran holds assets there that have been frozen due to US sanctions.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated on Monday that the necessary steps to unfreeze these funds were “underway”.

“In accordance with established plans, $6 billion out of the total $12 billion held in Qatar will be released and returned to the country,” he said, quoted by the presidency.