Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian declared on Monday that Tehran will adhere to the 18 June memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the United States only if Washington first fulfils its own commitments, a stance that immediately cast doubt on US claims of imminent high-level talks in Doha. Pezeshkian, writing on the social media platform X, described mutual understanding as a “two-way street” and said Iran would confront threats with rationality while defending itself decisively when necessary. Hours later, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei stated that technical negotiations with Washington would not proceed until the key terms of the bilateral 14-point MoU are fully implemented, flatly dismissing reports of consultations in the Qatari capital.

The Iranian position, as articulated by Pezeshkian and Baghaei, ties any diplomatic forward movement to concrete US actions under the MoU, which was mediated by Pakistan and Qatar and signed on 18 June after weeks of military confrontation between the two sides. Iranian officials have repeatedly stressed that the memorandum is based on reciprocal commitments, warning that any failure by Washington to comply could jeopardise the entire process. Viewed from Tehran, the priority is the implementation of initial provisions—including maritime security arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz, the resumption of oil exports, and the release of frozen Iranian assets—before broader negotiations can begin.

The Iranian statements directly contradicted assertions made by US President Donald Trump, who told reporters in the Oval Office that Iran had agreed to denuclearisation and that representatives from both sides were set to meet in Doha on Tuesday. Trump said the meeting, which he claimed was requested by Iran, would be attended by special envoy Steve Witkoff and senior adviser Jared Kushner. “They have agreed to it,” Trump said of the denuclearisation goal. However, Iranian officials denied that any such meeting was scheduled, and Baghaei said Tehran was not yet satisfied that the MoU’s provisions had been met.

The MoU, signed in Islamabad, brought an end to a cycle of US-Israeli military strikes and Iranian retaliation that had raised fears of a wider regional conflict. According to Russian media reports, the document includes a commitment by Iran not to seek nuclear weapons and outlines a 30-day negotiation period for a comprehensive settlement, during which blockades of Hormuz and Iranian ports would be gradually eased. The Russian government welcomed the agreement, noting the efforts of Pakistani and Qatari mediators. With Tehran explicitly conditioning its compliance on Washington’s follow-through, the immediate next steps remain uncertain: the Doha meeting, as described by Trump, has not been confirmed by Iran, and the implementation of the MoU’s early clauses now stands as the prerequisite for any broader diplomatic engagement.