US, Iranian Representatives Expected to Discuss Lebanon, Strait of Hormuz in Doha

Iran's state media reported that a foreign container ship ran aground after not running Iran's approved route through the Strait of Hormuz. It said ships needed to follow instructions set out by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) when transiting the strait. The vessel was described as a foreign container ship, but no other details were initially provided.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), urgently needs donations. "They cannot keep going like this without urgent backing and financial support from member states," he said at a donor conference for the aid agency in New York, adding he is "appalled" by attempts to undermine the agency's work. Guterres said those attempts are being made "through disinformation. Smear campaigns. Legislative actions. Operational restrictions. Diplomatic roadblocks. And more." Israel alleged at least 12 of UNRWA's 13,000 employees were involved in the Hamas-led October 7 terrorist attack on the country's south, resulting in some countries stopping funding for the agency, most notably the US, UNRWA's most important donor. According to UNRWA, some 5.9 million people are under its mandate, with it also operating in Lebanon, Jordan and other places.

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.

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 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.