Summary

• Iran Foreign Ministry contradicts Trump on Doha talks: "We will not hold any negotiation meetings at any level with the American side in the coming days."
• US-Iran talks may resume Tuesday in Doha, Trump declaring the plan in a Monday Truth Social, with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner traveling to Qatar, though Tehran denies technical negotiations are scheduled.
• Qatar suspended most maritime activity as security deteriorates, while shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted & slowed.
• Recent US-Iran strikes have clouded diplomacy, despite reports both sides have paused military action.
• Iran warned it could halt negotiations and said further US involvement in Hormuz would escalate tensions and delay the waterway's reopening.

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Iran Foreign Ministry Contradicts Trump: No Talks will be Held

Earlier Monday a White House official said the Witkoff-Kushner delegation was en route to Qatar for Iran talks, but it's looking like Tehran will give the US a cold shoulder. Iran state Tasnim is citing Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, who says:

Bloomberg is also confirming the new statement out of the Iranian side. President Trump himself early Monday morning stated on Truth Social: "Iran has requested a meeting. It will take place tomorrow in Doha." Also Fars has separately stated within the last hours:

More latest:

So it seems Witkoff and Kushner will merely meet with Qatari and Pakistani mediators? It remains an open question whether the Iranians will be present in Doha at all. It could be Tehran is issuing the contradictory messaging in order to keep leverage and pressure up, or else to try and humiliate the White House. The Islamic Republic has been warning that more US military action against Iranian territory and in the Hormuz Strait could result in Iran walking away from the negotiating process altogether.

Witkoff-Kushner Delegation En Route to Qatar, Iran Mum

Bloomberg reports Monday that Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will meet with Qatar's prime minister on Tuesday to discuss the talks with Iran, also citing Axios which spoke to a White House official. Will the Iranians actually be there?

• On Wednesday US and Iranian technical teams will meet separately with Qatari and Pakistani mediators, Axios says
• Witkoff and Kushner will travel to Doha today: Axios

So it seems the US delegation is in motion, even as Tehran has as yet offered no concrete public confirmation that an Iranian high level team is in route.

Qatar Halts Maritime Activity due to Unravelling Security Situation

A big move from Qatar to halt almost all shipping in its maritime territory on Monday:

Bloomberg reported earlier in the day: Just a handful of vessels made open transits over the weekend in the strait.

Trump: Talks Continue Tuesday in Doha

After some persisting Sunday reports, including in The Wall Street Journal, said that last week's renewed tit-for-tat fighting between the US and Iran in the Strait of Hormuz had 'stalled' the next round of talks, President Trump stated on Truth Social Monday that a meeting on Iran would be held in Doha Tuesday. He stipulated that Iran has requested the talks.

"Iran has requested a meeting. It will take place tomorrow in Doha," Trump wrote on his social media platform in all caps. Axios reported late Sunday, citing a senior US official, that "We decided to stop all the kinetic activity" and make way for renewed talks.

NBC notes in the immediate aftermath of the statement, "There was no immediate reaction from Tehran. Hours earlier, a senior Iranian official denied any technical discussions were scheduled to take place."

"Technical teams working on the implementation of the initial agreement between the two sides are scheduled to meet in Doha in the coming days, a source with knowledge of the talks," the report continues.

Growing Tit-for-Tat Strikes Clouding Talks

Abbas Aslani from the Center for Middle East Strategic Studies has contextualized, "In the past few days the two sides have been flexing their muscles on this strategic issue – meaning the Strait of Hormuz, which is a leverage for Iran that can create a balance in the negotiations with the United States." He added: "This has been clouding the atmosphere of the talks. The Iranian senior negotiator said they are not expecting those technical talks to be held this week."

As for how this may or may not impact vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz in the wake of the MoU deal signing, and start of Switzerland technical talks earlier this month, Bloomberg reports that "Commercial shipping continued to move through the Strait of Hormuz at a reduced level after recent attacks on two vessels. A handful of vessels made open transits over the weekend, according to tracking data."

Last Friday into the weekend saw the escalatory spiral go into overdrive, as red lines continue to be tested. By early Sunday morning, both Bahrain and Kuwait came under direct Iranian attacks. The strikes came just hours after the Pentagon proudly announced it had pounded multiple targets inside Iran  - a move Washington characterized as "retaliation" for Tehran's continued harassment of commercial shipping lanes.

A short time before Trump's latest Truth Social post proclaiming Doha talks set for Tuesday...

Tehran Threatens 'Complete Halt' To US Negotiations

Tehran is now threatening a "complete halt" to all diplomatic negotiations, despite that Trump has been signaling that the gloves are completely off if things spill over into next year: "There may come a point when we are no longer able to be reasonable, and will be forced to militarily complete the job that we very successfully started," he had said Saturday.

But then Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday, "Any interference in this matter and any attempt to adopt new or separate arrangements compared to what is underway by Iran will only lead to more complicated situations and delays in the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and will fuel tensions." But for now, at least the two sides have 'agreed' to halt strikes, it was widely reported Sunday evening.

Overnight, Weekend Latest Developments

via Newsquawk...

• US CENTCOM announced that it conducted strikes against multiple Iranian targets on Saturday, on the orders of US President Trump, "in direct response to continued Iranian aggression against commercial shipping." In retaliation, Iran's IRGC responded by hitting 8 US military installations at the Ali Al Salem air base in Kuwait and the US Navy's Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, according to IRNA. However, in the early hours of Monday, a US official said technical talks with Iran are slated to continue on all areas of the MoU, while the official added that both sides will stand down for now and that vessels can move freely.
• US official said Iranian drone and missile attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain failed and that all Iranian projectiles were intercepted or missed, according to ABC News.
• Iran cancelled technical talks with the US scheduled on Sunday and cited recent attacks on the country and a failure to meet conditions outlined in the MoU with the US. However, it was separately reported that the US and Iran agreed to halt strikes and meet this week, according to Axios citing a senior US official. Furthermore, US and Iran technical talks that were scheduled to be held on Tuesday in Switzerland, which would focus on nuclear and other issues, have reportedly been changed and will now be held in Doha on Tuesday and will focus on the Strait of Hormuz and recent escalation.
• Iran’s Foreign Minister Araghchi said the US and Israel have violated the MoU, particularly the first clause, which hinders the restoration of regional security, while he also stated that Iran seeks to implement the MoU in good faith in accordance with the principle of commitment for commitment and that they will act decisively against contract breaches.
• Mediators have reportedly set up communication channels to de-escalate any incidents with technical talks set to continue, according to reports.
• Iran's President said they will get USD 6bln from Qatar of the USD 12bln of Iranian funds that were frozen due to US restrictions within Qatar, journalist Mallick reported.
• Israeli army said it attacked 3 Hezbollah headquarters in southern Lebanon last night.
• Israeli military has received no orders to withdraw from Lebanon, according to Al-Jadeed and Haaretz, citing an Israeli military source.
• Instructions have been given to the Israeli army to reduce the destruction of homes and infrastructure in areas of southern Lebanon it controls, Al Hadath reported citing Israeli media.
• Israel destroyed a Hezbollah underground tunnel in southern Lebanon, while Israeli forces reportedly shelled a Syrian village near the Golan Heights.
• Israeli PM Netanyahu and Defence Minister Katz said the IDF will remain in the southern Lebanon "security zone" after destroying a Hezbollah underground facility.
• Iran and Oman held the first meeting on the Strait of Hormuz, within the framework of Article 5 of the MoU, Mehr reported.