Iran rules out talks with US after Trump announces Doha meeting

US President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday that the US-Iran meeting in Qatar this week will be "perhaps important, perhaps not." Trump emphasized that the goal is the denuclearization of Iran, stating, "We don't want them to have a nuclear weapon — and they're not going to have a nuclear weapon." However, Iran quickly dismissed the possibility of talks. Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said, "We have not yet entered the stage of negotiating a final agreement," and confirmed that Iran would not hold any negotiation meetings with the US side at any level in the coming days.

Instead, Iran announced that an "expert delegation" would travel to Doha later this week for technical discussions on implementing the memorandum of understanding signed with the United States earlier this month. This came just twelve days after Trump said a US delegation would arrive in Doha on Tuesday for high-level talks. Iran's denial of participation underscores the ongoing tensions between the two nations, despite the recent peace deal.

Regarding the Strait of Hormuz, Iran held its first meeting with Oman on Monday to discuss management of the strategic waterway. French President Macron later stated that France and Oman would cooperate on de-mining the vital pathway, but Iran refuted this, asserting that only Iran can carry out clearing operations per the Islamabad MoU. Iran's deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, warned that Iran would obstruct vessels outside defined paths and said Iran is prepared to proceed alone on the Hormuz mechanism if Oman does not cooperate.

In other regional developments, flights between Iran and the UAE resumed after months of suspension, and the UAE allowed its citizens to travel to Lebanon starting June 29 under strict conditions. Saudi Arabia offered condolences to Qatar after a Qatari citizen was killed by shrapnel from military operations, expressing solidarity with Qatar's government and people.

Meanwhile, violence continues in Gaza despite a ceasefire. An Israeli airstrike killed three Palestinians, including a child, in central Gaza on Monday. The Gazan health ministry reported that twelve Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since Saturday. In the occupied West Bank, a Palestinian teen was shot dead during an Israeli raid. Additionally, Israel destroyed underground infrastructure used by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, with the US informed ahead of the attack.