President Donald Trump declared on July 1 that Iran’s denuclearization process is “moving along well,” offering his most optimistic assessment yet of indirect negotiations being conducted through Qatari intermediaries in Doha.
What happened in Doha
The Doha meetings centered on implementing a memorandum of understanding designed to advance Iran’s denuclearization. U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner engaged directly with Qatari leaders, who have served as the critical go-between in what remains an indirect negotiating structure.
Iranian representatives participated in parallel discussions, though Tehran has been clear: no direct high-level meetings with American officials are on the schedule.
This phase of talks builds on the Islamabad Memorandum, signed on June 17, which paused broader hostilities and opened the door for discussions on sanctions relief. The centerpiece of those discussions is the potential unfreezing of up to $25 billion in Iranian assets.
