Doha Talks Disputed

President Donald Trump said Iran requested a meeting with U.S. officials in Doha after the two countries traded strikes around the Strait of Hormuz, but Tehran publicly denied that any talks were scheduled in the coming days. The conflicting statements left the status of the ceasefire and broader peace process unclear, with U.S. officials insisting diplomacy would resume in Qatar while Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said Tehran had not agreed to meet Washington “at any level.” The weekend escalation included attacks on commercial shipping and military targets, threatening efforts to keep the Hormuz waterway open and stabilize negotiations. Separate announcements about a possible release of $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets and discussions involving Oman over Hormuz-related service fees added to signs that back-channel diplomacy may still be active despite Iran’s denials.