Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said that Iran will respond immediately and forcefully to any threat against its people or leadership.
Araghchi said, “The American president has obligated the United States to tame its pets in Tel Aviv. If they ignore his orders, Iran will teach them a harsh lesson.”
A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Wednesday that indirect talks between Tehran and Washington have been ongoing since Tuesday evening in Doha, adding that the discussions are focused on the release of frozen Iranian funds and the Strait of Hormuz.
The official said, “Indirect negotiations began Tuesday evening. Iran held meetings with Qatari and Pakistani officials, who in turn met with the American side. The indirect talks continued on Wednesday and focused on frozen Iranian assets and the Strait of Hormuz.” A source familiar with the matter told Reuters that Qatar and Pakistan are mediating these indirect talks. The source explained that US envoy Steve Wittkopf and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, met with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Tuesday to lay the groundwork for Wednesday’s technical sessions, but did not attend the talks themselves.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi was quoted by state media on Wednesday as saying that talks in Doha focused on implementing the interim agreement between Tehran and Washington.
Gharibabadi met with the Prime Minister of Qatar and participated in a trilateral meeting between Iran, Qatar and Pakistan to review the implementation of the interim agreement.
A diplomat familiar with the negotiations told AFP that indirect technical talks began in Doha on Wednesday between US and Iranian envoys as part of implementing the terms of the memorandum of understanding with Iran to end the war in the Middle East.
The diplomat, who asked not to be named, confirmed that talks were underway, after previously reporting that “American and Iranian officials are holding indirect technical talks in Doha on Wednesday through Qatari and Pakistani mediators.”
The diplomat added that the talks, which “focus on the details of the memorandum of understanding” signed by the two sides last June, “will build on the progress made” during the summit that followed its signing and was held in the Swiss city of Lucerne.
He noted that the American envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Wittkopf would not participate in these technical talks.
Kushner and Woitkoff met on Tuesday with Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and discussed with him “the latest developments in the ongoing talks between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran,” according to a statement from the State Department.
According to the same source, the meeting also addressed the ceasefire in Lebanon, “emphasizing the importance of consolidating it and building upon it in a way that preserves Lebanon’s unity, sovereignty and stability.”
The memorandum, signed by both sides on June 17 with Qatari and Pakistani mediation and followed by a summit in the Swiss city of Lucerne, stipulated several provisions, most notably a ceasefire on all fronts, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the lifting of the US blockade on Iranian ports, the release of a portion of Tehran’s frozen assets, and negotiations aimed at reaching a final agreement within a 60-day period that could be extended.
After initially denying any intention to hold a meeting, the Iranian Foreign Ministry on Monday confirmed that a team of experts headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi had been sent to Qatar.
However, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei ruled out any direct contact with US officials, as suggested by US President Donald Trump.
He said, "We will not hold any negotiation meetings with the United States at any level whatsoever."
