- Iran and the US have agreed to pause their attacks and renew talks on their dispute over the Strait of Hormuz, according to a US official – after several days of strikes and counterstrikes raised tensions
The United States and Iran have agreed to halt attacks against each other and will meet in Qatar on Tuesday for talks aimed at resolving their dispute over the Strait of Hormuz, US media reported on Sunday, raising hopes of easing tensions that have rattled global energy markets and threatened shipping in the Gulf.
The two countries have exchanged strikes in recent days despite a fragile June 17 memorandum of understanding intended to end a conflict that erupted in late February and severely disrupted traffic through the strategic waterway.
Under the memorandum, Tehran agreed to allow the safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, while Washington committed to lifting its blockade of Iranian ports.
“We decided to stop all the kinetic activity,” a senior US official told Axios, using a military term for strikes.
A second US official said both sides would stand down “for now” and that “vessels can move freely” pending further discussions. A third source familiar with the matter confirmed that the two sides would meet in Doha on Tuesday, according to the report.
CNN also reported that the Trump administration and Iran had agreed to pause hostilities and continue negotiations in Qatar.
The White House did not immediately comment on the reports.
Iranian officials indicated, however, that Tehran still had concerns over whether Washington had fulfilled all conditions of the memorandum.
Mehdi Fazaeili, a member of the Office of Preservation and Publication of the Works of Iran’s Supreme Leader, said Iran had not participated in technical talks scheduled for Sunday because some conditions remained unmet, including access to Iranian funds that had been unfrozen under the agreement.
The pause in hostilities comes after another dangerous flare-up over the weekend underscored the fragility of the ceasefire.
US Central Command said early Sunday that it had struck 10 Iranian military targets in response to what it called continued Iranian aggression against commercial shipping.
Iran said it retaliated by launching strikes against US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, attacks that both Gulf states condemned.
The latest tensions have centered on control of the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway through which around one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes under normal conditions.
Iran has insisted that vessels transiting the strait use a corridor near its coastline and has warned against attempts to bypass its preferred route.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said any effort to introduce alternative arrangements for passage through the strait would complicate efforts to fully reopen the waterway and would heighten regional tensions.
Tehran was angered this week by Oman’s announcement of an alternative shipping route along the Omani shoreline, developed in conjunction with the International Maritime Organization.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have also vowed to tighten enforcement measures in the strait, warning that vessels violating Iranian directives would face tougher action.
Analysts say the dispute over Hormuz remains a major source of instability despite the latest diplomatic breakthrough.
The conflict that began earlier this year disrupted one of the world’s most important energy corridors and heightened fears of a broader regional war, even after a Pakistan-brokered ceasefire took effect in April.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned of military action should Iranian attacks continue, saying on Saturday that Iran would “no longer exist” if Washington were forced to resume the war.
The Doha talks will be the first high-level meeting between the two sides since the latest exchange of strikes and are expected to focus on maritime security and the implementation of the June 17 memorandum.
@Arab News, AFP & Reuters