President Donald Trump said Monday (June 29, 2026) that Iran had requested a meeting with U.S. counterparts, though one of Iran’s top negotiators said no further talks had been scheduled after attacks across the Persian Gulf over the weekend challenged negotiations to end the war.
The U.S. President has tried to preserve an increasingly fragile interim deal as hostilities have mounted in the Strait of Hormuz in recent days, through which a fifth of the world’s oil had been shipped before war began. After four days of trading strikes, both sides appeared to pause their attacks on Monday (June 29, 2026).
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Mr. Trump said on social media that a meeting with Iran would happen on Tuesday (June 30, 2026) in Doha, Qatar. Mr. Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the President’s son-in-law, are flying to Qatar for the meeting, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News’ “Fox & Friends.” But Kazem Gharibabadi, a senior negotiator for Iran, denied any talks had been scheduled.
The U.S. and Iran agreed to an interim deal earlier this month that calls for Tehran to dilute its stockpile of enriched uranium. It also waives US-backed sanctions on the country while opening the Strait of Hormuz and giving each side 60 days to hammer out broader agreements.
Oil prices fell sharply after the signing of the interim deal, but if they were to reverse course in a meaningful way, it could undermine Trump’s claims to voters ahead of the November elections that inflation was easing.
Earlier on Monday (June 29, 2026), Iran’s President said that $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets would be released by Qatar. Masoud Pezeshkian’s mention of the funds appeared aimed at selling the Iranian public on the interim deal, particularly as its grip on the strait has been tested.
Increased tension in a waterway vital to world energy supplies
During the war that began Feb. 28, Iran’s attacks and threats stopped cargo ships and tankers from moving through the Strait of Hormuz, creating a global energy crisis.
In recent days, Iran has twice attacked vessels in the strait — including a tanker filled with Qatari crude — following efforts to open Oman’s territorial waters to both inbound and outbound traffic from the Persian Gulf.
The attacks drew retaliatory American airstrikes and raised concerns that negotiations to reach a formal end to the war could be disrupted. Iran launched drone and missile attacks targeting Bahrain and Kuwait on Sunday.
Iran and Oman held a meeting about the Strait on Monday (June 29, 2026) in Oman.
The strait has long been considered an international waterway despite its location in Iran and Oman’s territorial waters.
Confusion mounts over next round of Iran-U.S. talks
Pakistan, a key mediator, has said talks would resume on Tuesday (June 30, 2026). The Trump administration on Sunday (June 29, 2026) said nothing has been cancelled and technical talks are on track for the coming days.
Gharibabadi, the Iranian negotiator, cast doubt on the meeting in comments published by IRNA.
“Reports by some media about technical talks by the working groups being held in Doha are not confirmed,” he said.
Technical talks involve lower-level diplomats working on the specifics of any deal that would draw top leaders from Iran and the US back to the table.
Trump touts falling oil prices
Mr. Trump celebrated on Monday (June 30, 2026) morning that U.S. oil futures were trading at roughly $69 a barrel, a decrease that he credited to the interim deal with Iran.
Even though the president has previously said oil prices and domestic political concerns were not influencing his approach to Iran, Mr. Trump has repeatedly focused on lower oil prices with the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz as a key victory.
The President falsely claimed that oil prices are lower than they were before the war.
Oil futures in the U.S. were trading at a range of roughly $65 to $66 per barrel before the war began in late February.
Brent crude, the international standard, was trading at about $72 a barrel before the war began, and rose above $126 per barrel in April. On Monday, Brent traded at around $73.25 a barrel.
Published – June 29, 2026 05:51 pm IST
