US President Donald Trump announced on July 1, 2026, that indirect talks with Iran held in Qatar were making progress, signaling that diplomacy was continuing despite recent exchanges of fire in the Middle East conflict. Trump stated, "As far as things are going, the denuclearization of Iran is moving along well," before boarding Air Force One.
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, who led Tehran's delegation, confirmed that the talks had concluded with an agreement to establish a communication channel by Thursday to report and document violations of their initial memorandum of understanding. This memorandum, mediated by Qatar and Pakistan and finalized at a summit last month in Lucerne, Switzerland, includes a 60-day ceasefire, the reopening of the blockaded Strait of Hormuz, and a timetable for a final deal on the war and Iran's nuclear program.
Officials reviewed the use of part of an initial $6 billion fund, agreeing that goods needed by Iran would be purchased and made available. US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff did not participate in the technical talks after meeting Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
Recent hostilities included Tehran targeting a commercial ship it said had strayed from its approved route through the Strait of Hormuz. In response, US Central Command reported striking 10 Iranian military targets. Iran's chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf acknowledged that "when a war of this magnitude comes to an end... it is inevitable that there will be implementation challenges, incidents and differences of opinion, especially where parties such as the Israeli regime are concerned."
The talks remain indirect, with Iran insisting there would be no direct negotiations with the US in Doha in the coming days.
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