On Tuesday, Qatar announced that none of the $6 billion in Iranian assets that have been frozen due to US sanctions has been released, despite ongoing discussions between Washington and Tehran regarding a memorandum of understanding. Majed Al Ansari, a spokesperson for Qatar's Foreign Ministry, confirmed, "So far, no funds have been transferred," as Iranian officials prepared to head to Doha for technical discussions on the next steps of the agreement. Iran insists that the funds should be released in a lump sum, while the United States prefers to distribute the money in smaller, incremental payments, reportedly directing funds to vendors as Iran fulfills its commitments related to nuclear concessions and ensuring safe shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Al Ansari noted that technical-level contacts between Iran and the United States are ongoing, but emphasized that no high-level negotiations are currently occurring within the existing framework. He stated during a media briefing, "There are currently no high-level meetings between the Iranian and American parties under the adopted negotiation mechanism." The recent visit by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Doha was part of consultations with Qatari officials and mediators on various regional matters, including discussions about Iran and Lebanon.

According to Al Ansari, technical discussions between Iranian and US officials have persisted since earlier meetings in Switzerland, occurring both directly and indirectly with Qatar's mediation. He mentioned, "The Iranian and American technical delegations were still in session," and added that the talks were being conducted in various formats with mediators involved to ensure continuity. Unlike the earlier discussions in Switzerland, where senior Iranian and US delegations met face-to-face, the current round in Doha is being held at a technical level, with the US delegation led by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and the Iranian team headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi. In this round, the two delegations are not expected to meet directly, with Qatari officials serving as intermediaries.

Al Ansari explained that the aim of the technical negotiations is to "produce documents that will be elevated to principles in the high-level meetings to agree upon."

Qatari officials have indicated that the technical discussions are centered on several critical issues, including: financial restrictions and the potential lifting of sanctions on Iran, measures to ensure the free flow of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, the future of Iran's nuclear program, the possible release of Iran's frozen assets, and regional security.