By The South Asia Times

DOHA -  Conflicting statements from Washington and Tehran have cast uncertainty over the future of US-Iran diplomacy, even as President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff traveled to Qatar for what the White House described as high-level meetings aimed at advancing a fragile ceasefire and a broader nuclear agreement, according to CNN.

Trump said the United States would meet Iranian officials in Doha on Tuesday, and two US officials confirmed to CNN that Witkoff was en route to the Qatari capital.

However, Iran's Foreign Ministry denied that any negotiations with the United States were scheduled in the coming days.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said no talks were planned "at any level" between Tehran and Washington, although an expert Iranian delegation would travel to Doha later this week to continue technical work related to implementing parts of the recently signed US-Iran memorandum.

The contradictory messages have raised fresh doubts about whether negotiators can meet a 60-day deadline to finalize a broader agreement after both sides exchanged attacks over the weekend, straining an already fragile ceasefire, CNN reported.

Baghaei said negotiations on a final accord could only begin after implementation of key provisions of the memorandum had started. He said Washington had issued licenses related to Iranian oil sales and that discussions were continuing on the release of frozen Iranian assets.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran would honor its commitments if the United States fulfilled its own obligations, while warning that Iran would respond firmly to any threats. He also said that half of Iran's $12 billion in frozen assets held in Qatar would be returned, although US officials have offered differing accounts of the arrangement.

At the White House, press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News that high-level meetings would be held in Doha alongside technical discussions. She said Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner would travel to Qatar for meetings later this week.

Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz revealed new details about ceasefire diplomacy, saying Trump insisted that the conflicts involving Iran and Lebanon be treated as interconnected during negotiations, despite Israel's preference to address them separately. Katz also said Washington had backed Israel's decision to maintain troops in southern Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed across the country.

Tensions also remain high in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most critical oil shipping routes. Iran's deputy foreign minister said Tehran alone would oversee the removal of naval mines from the strategic waterway, rejecting comments by French President Emmanuel Macron suggesting that France, Oman and other countries could participate in the effort.

According to MarineTraffic data cited by CNN, more than two dozen commercial vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz over the past 24 hours, well below normal traffic levels before the recent conflict.

In neighboring Lebanon, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a close ally of Hezbollah, criticized the latest US-brokered ceasefire with Israel, saying the agreement "won't be implemented." Clashes between Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah continued in southern Lebanon over the weekend despite the announcement of a new truce.

The latest developments underscore the challenges facing efforts to consolidate the ceasefire reached after weeks of fighting between the United States, Israel and Iran. While Washington says diplomacy is moving forward, Tehran's public denial of imminent talks highlights the deep mistrust that continues to cloud negotiations over Iran's nuclear program and regional security.