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Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff will discuss the state of negotiations with mediators
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Tehran has said its negotiators will not sit down for peace talks with the US until all the points in the memorandum of understanding (MoU) have been upheld.
Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have arrived in Qatar to meet mediators, but Iran has insisted no direct talks are on the table.
“There is no high level meeting between the US and Iran planned,” Qatar said on Tuesday, in another sign that the peace process was stalling.
The MoU is made up of 14 points, including the safe reopening of the Strait of Hormuz for 60 days and the US terminating any sanctions against Iran.
Speaking on Tuesday, Iran’s top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said any current meetings are being held with the intention of seeing MoU commitments met, and warned safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz has only been agreed for 60 days.
Iran and the US had traded attacks in the Gulf in recent days as each accused the other of violating an interim deal signed less than two weeks ago to end their four-month war.
Tehran has added a 20 per cent mark up on its oil sales, the country’s top negotiator has said.
It comes as he warned the US that if it “intends to deprive Iran of selling oil, nobody will benefit from oil”.
US negotiators are currently in Doha for peace talks, but Tehran has said no discussions are scheduled to take place.
Iran’s top negotiator has said the sovereignty of the Strait of Hormuz lies only with Iran and Oman as he warned safe passage in the Strait is only agreed for 60 days.
Speaking on Tuesday, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that traffic in the key shipping route is only allowed as Tehran dictates.
He added Iran has exported 40 million barrels of oil since the US lifted its Navy blockade in the area.
Iran has said it will not enter further negotiations with the US until terms agreed in a memorandum of understanding two weeks ago are fulfilled.
The country’s top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Tuesday that any current meetings are being held with the intention of seeing those commitments met.
The MoU is made up of 14 points, including the safe reopening of the Strait of Hormuz for 60 days and the US terminating any sanctions against Iran.
But the agreement looks to be on thin ice, with both sides trading strikes with each other at the end of last week.
Amirhossein Miresmaeili hears from unimpressed protestors within Iran who feel betrayed by Donald Trump’s promises of regime change.
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US envoys, including secretary of state Marco Rubio, have travelled to Doha for high-level peace talks amidst a renewed spate of strikes in the Gulf.
But the talks, which were seemingly confirmed by Donald Trump on Truth Social on Monday, do not appear to be going ahead.
Later the same day, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson denied any scheduled talks with the US, stating an Iranian technical delegation’s visit to Qatar was unrelated.
On Tuesday, Qatar said: “There is ho high level meeting between the US and Iran planned”.
Iran’s football team thanked the people of Tijuana on Tuesday for their hospitality at the World Cup, saying Mexico had become “our second home and our second team”.
The team were eliminated at the group stage of the tournament and will now travel home.
Political tensions between Tehran and Washington forced Iran to abandon plans to establish its World Cup base in Tucson, Arizona, and relocate to Tijuana shortly before the tournament.
The Iranian team were also only allowed to enter the US a day before their games. The US authorities later eased some restrictions, permitting Iran to travel two days before their final group game in Seattle, although the team was still required to return to its Mexican base afterwards.
“True hosting is about respect, humanity, and dignity. We will never forget the kindness of the people of Tijuana,” the team said in a message published on the team’s WhatsApp channel.
“From this day forward, Mexico will always be more than a host nation to us; it will be our second home and our second team.”
South Korean president Lee Jae-myung has announced that all but two vessels stranded in the Strait of Hormuz have now exited the waterway.
A total of 26 South Korean-linked ships were in the Strait when Iran closed the chokepoint on 28 February after the US and Israel launched attacks on Tehran.
Iranian foreign minister spokesperson Esmail Baghaei has insisted that there is no need for “outside interference” in the Strait of Hormuz.
He said that the involvement of other countries would only “complicate” matters.
The United Nations trade and development agency warned on Tuesday that vulnerable economies remain at risk from prolonged increases in food and fuel costs despite the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz bringing immediate relief to energy markets.
Food and transport systems are likely to take longer than energy markets to recover, as disrupted supply chains need more time to reset following more than 100 days of severe disruption to shipping through the strategic waterway, a UN Conference on Trade and Development said in a new report.
Despite the falling price of crude, higher fuel, gas and fertiliser costs could continue to feed through into agricultural production, transport costs and household budgets.
Vulnerable economies remain particularly exposed to oil and fertiliser price shocks, while persistently high food prices could place further pressure on poorer households. UNCTAD said a 5 per cent increase in food prices can significantly raise the risk of childhood wasting.
The agency identified 61 vulnerable economies exposed to oil and cereal import shocks linked to the Strait of Hormuz disruption. Among them is Cape Verde, which relies heavily on imported fuel and has experienced rising electricity, transport and food costs that could continue even after energy markets stabilise.
Staple food-importing countries such as Yemen also remain highly vulnerable because their fragile economies are ill-equipped to absorb higher grain prices and transport costs. UNCTAD called for international support to help the most exposed countries recover from the recent shocks.
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