Negotiations between the United States and Iran are continuing despite the absence of high-level talks, the Qatari Foreign Affairs Ministry said in an X/Twitter post on Tuesday.
The post cited Qatari Advisor to the Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson for the Foreign Affairs Ministry Dr. Majed Mohammed Al-Ansari as affirming that US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited Doha as part of talks with Qatar regarding Iran and Lebanon.
While Al-Ansari emphasized that no high-level negotiations were taking place, technical meetings have continued, something he said Qatar is committed to.
He added that Qatar has worked to contain the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, noting that the vital waterway is one of several key topics of discussion, alongside the nuclear issue and other provisions in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
Regarding Hormuz, Al-Ansari described it as an "international waterway" requiring unobstructed navigational freedom, a position based on Qatar's respect for international maritime law.
He noted that Qatar's position on the strait is shared by other Gulf countries and the international community at large.
According to Al-Ansari, Iran's frozen funds are not owned by Qatar; rather, Qatar serves as a financial intermediary for the account, with the transfer to be determined through future negotiations.
Al-Ansari: Qatar's goal is end of war
He emphasized that Qatar's ultimate goal remains an end to hostilities in the region, with a priority on safe commercial transit through the Hormuz.
Al-Ansari called attention to the Iranian attacks Qatar sustained during the US-Iran war, attacks he said violated the country's sovereignty.
He noted that Qatar had successfully deterred the attacks and that the door is open for dialogue.
Though a ceasefire and an MoU exist, Al-Ansari concluded that such guarantees are contingent on the realities on the ground, reiterating Qatar's goal of ending the war.
Vance: 'We want durable commitments'
US Vice President JD Vance said earlier on Tuesday that the US requires "durable commitments" from Iran regarding its nuclear program.
"We want to see what kind of an arrangement actually exists in the Middle East between not just Iran and the United States, but the GCC, Israel, Lebanon," said Vance during an interview on The Michael Knowles Show. "We're going to play that situation out."
He added that the Strait of Hormuz is "open to oil traffic," with shipment levels outperforming those from before the war.
"We're seeing more oil come out of the Strait of Hormuz, and some days, it's actually more oil coming out of the Strait than came out before [the conflict]," said Vance. "The world oil economy is kind of getting back into gear."
"That's going to take a little bit of time," Vance noted, "but you've already seen the prices come way down."