TEHRAN/WASHINGTON, 30 June (H.S.): Iran has firmly denied that any talks with the United States are scheduled in Doha, Qatar, stating that its delegation's visit to the Gulf nation has no connection with any meeting involving American officials. The statement directly contradicts US President Donald Trump's claim that American and Iranian representatives would meet in the Qatari capital for discussions focused on the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, conditions in the strategically important waterway have shown signs of improvement over the past 24 hours.

According to Iran's Fars News Agency and Al Jazeera, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told a press conference that no talks or meetings with the United States had been scheduled at any level in the coming days.

Our delegation's visit to Qatar has absolutely no connection with the American side. No talks or meetings with the United States are planned at any level, Baghaei said.

He also stressed that negotiations on a comprehensive agreement have not yet begun.

Baghaei said that, under the draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), formal negotiations on a final agreement can begin only after the implementation of provisions listed under clauses 1, 4, 5, 10 and 11 of the proposed 14-point framework. He added that the United States must also make Iran's frozen financial assets fully accessible through a mutually agreed mechanism before further progress can be made.

Meanwhile, the White House said US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump's senior adviser Jared Kushner are expected to travel to Doha on Tuesday for discussions related to Iran.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the visit during an interview with Fox News, saying the meeting was taking place at Iran's request. She said President Trump remains committed to advancing the peace process and urged Tehran to reach an agreement with Washington. According to Leavitt, technical discussions have continued following the signing of a 14-point Memorandum of Understanding aimed at reducing hostilities in West Asia.

Earlier, President Trump wrote on Truth Social that Iran had requested a meeting and that it would take place in Doha on Tuesday.

US news outlet Axios had first reported the proposed meeting. However, Iran's state broadcaster, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), later quoted Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi as saying that no technical working group meeting had been scheduled for this week. He added that Iran's regular consultations with Qatar were continuing as usual.

Qatar has remained the principal mediator in diplomatic contacts between Tehran and Washington.

According to Gulf News, the conflicting statements from Washington and Tehran have added fresh uncertainty to diplomatic efforts in the Middle East. While President Trump announced that US and Iranian officials would meet in Qatar this week, Iran's Foreign Ministry has categorically denied that any such meeting has been arranged, raising fresh questions about the status of ongoing negotiations.

Despite the diplomatic uncertainty, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz has improved over the past 24 hours. Marine traffic data showed that 25 commercial vessels transited the strategic waterway during the period. Outbound traffic from the Persian Gulf included six oil tankers and eight cargo ships, while five oil tankers and six cargo vessels entered the Gulf, indicating a gradual normalization of maritime movement through one of the world's most vital energy shipping routes.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar