Swapna Kumbar , Bengaluru - Qatar says there are no direct U.S.-Iran talks scheduled in Doha, even though U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are in the capital meeting mediators. The clarification comes amid confusion over whether the U.S. and Iran had agreed to resume talks on June 30, with Pakistan also saying negotiations were expected to restart in Qatar.

Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said the American envoys are in Doha for discussions with mediators, but not for direct negotiations with Iranian officials. He said the process is currently being handled through go-betweens and that no high-level Iranian officials were expected to sit across from the U.S. delegation. Iran’s Foreign Ministry gave a similar account, saying no meeting with the U.S. had been scheduled and that its Doha visit was instead focused on implementation of the memorandum of understanding and the issue of frozen assets.

The mixed signals reflect the fragile state of the pause in hostilities between Washington and Tehran. Earlier reports had said the two sides agreed to halt strikes and meet in Doha to work out next steps, particularly over the Strait of Hormuz, but the latest statements suggest the talks remain indirect and procedural for now. That also explains why mediators from Qatar, rather than the two governments themselves, are currently carrying much of the diplomatic load.

The core message from Doha is that diplomacy is continuing, but not yet in the direct format Washington’s public statements implied. Until the two sides agree on a clearer format, the talks remain as much about managing expectations as managing the crisis.