Middle East updates: Iran, US to attend talks in Qatar

Middle East updates: Iran, US to attend talks in Qatar July 1, 2026What you need to know - Meeting to take place in Doha - US, Iranian representatives expected to discuss situation in Lebanon, Strait of Hormuz Read below for the latest news from the Middle East conflict on June 30, 2026: Tired of missing our real-time updates? Click here to add us as a Preferred Source on Google. The US and Iran: What you need to know Here's everything we know about the meeting between the US and Iran in Qatar. The who On the US side, special envoy Steve Witkoff and US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner are both in Qatar, with the White House saying they will attend "high-level meetings." However, the Qatari foreign ministry said the two were not in Doha for talks with the Iranians. They did meet Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, with the meeting being about the two US representatives "meeting the mediators." Iran's delegation is headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, the country's foreign ministry said. The talks between the two countries will be indirect, the AFP news agency reported, citing diplomatic sources. The what According to Qatar's foreign ministry, the meetings will be about both Iran and Lebanon, with another main issue being the permanent opening of the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian assets and funds frozen due to the US sanctions are also expected to be on the table. The why The talks come after the two countries exchanged fire sporadically since the signing on the MoU between them, with Tehran's attempt to enforce its claim on the Strait of Hormuz being given as a reason for the repeated flare-ups. However, the situation has calmed down in the past several days. Welcome to our coverage We will be covering the talks between the US and Iran that are taking place in Qatar today. Iran and the US gave conflicting accounts regarding the talks, and Qatar also said no high-level meetings or direct talks between the two countries were planned. According to the White House, US envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner will be in Doha for the meeting. Follow DW as we bring you more.