Iran Rejects Upcoming U.S. Talks In Qatar Amid Weekend Ceasefire Violations

The U.S and Iran were to hold talks in Qatar this week; however, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, stated that no direct meetings are scheduled, emphasising that Tehran will not negotiate with America in the coming days.

The current situation places the fragile ceasefire under pressure as the U.S and Iran exchanged strikes after accusing each other of violating the ceasefire first.

Despite the cancellation of direct talks, teams of both sides will likely meet with Qatari and Pakistani mediators on Wednesday to discuss the management of the Strait of Hormuz and de-escalation in the region.

The truce was tested over the weekend by reciprocal strikes; the U.S. accused Iran of targeting the ship Ever Lovely, prompting American airstrikes on Iranian facilities, which Iran countered by launching missiles at U.S. bases in Kuwait and Bahrain.

In Washington, President Donald Trump downplayed the certainty of the Doha meetings while reiterating his stance that Iran must be prevented from acquiring nuclear weapons.

The conflict has created difficulties for Trump ahead of November’s congressional midterm elections due to rising oil prices and fears of inflation.

Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian hailed the memorandum of understanding as a victory.

He announced that $6 billion of $12 billion in frozen assets held in Qatar would be released back to Iran under U.S. sanctions waivers.