Iran and US Agree to Halt Attacks, Renew Talks on Strait of Hormuz
Iran and the United States have reached an agreement to suspend recent hostilities in the Gulf and to resume discussions over their ongoing dispute regarding the Strait of Hormuz, according to a U.S. official on Sunday. This development comes amid heightened tensions marked by a series of retaliatory strikes that have threatened an interim peace deal.
Technical Talks and Ceasefire
The U.S. official indicated that “technical talks are slated to continue on all areas of the MOU,” referring to the 14-point memorandum of understanding established on June 17, which aims to facilitate the reopening of the Strait for maritime traffic. The official confirmed that both nations would “stand down for now,” allowing vessels to navigate freely through the strategic waterway.
A high-level meeting focused on Iran is scheduled to take place in Doha on Tuesday, featuring President Donald Trump’s senior envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. These discussions will occur alongside ongoing technical talks. However, reports from Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Majed Al Ansari, suggest that Witkoff and Kushner will not engage directly with Iranian officials.
In a social media announcement, Trump stated that Iran had requested a meeting in the Qatari capital, although he did not provide further details. Shortly thereafter, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed to Fox News that the two envoys would indeed participate in the discussions.
Leavitt emphasized that the U.S. is committed to upholding its end of the ceasefire, stating, “Violence will be met with violence.”
Recent Escalations and Military Actions
The renewed diplomatic efforts come on the heels of several days of military exchanges. An Iranian projectile struck a cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz last Thursday, prompting both nations to accuse each other of violating the interim ceasefire established on June 17.
On Sunday, Iran launched missiles and drones targeting U.S. military installations in Kuwait and Bahrain, shortly after Trump issued a warning that Iran would “cease to exist” if it failed to adhere to the ceasefire agreement.
In parallel, Israel reported conducting airstrikes against Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon, targeting underground facilities in a southern Lebanese village. This action followed another strike on Saturday, which coincided with a recent ceasefire agreement with Lebanon. Iran has insisted that hostilities in Lebanon must cease for the broader agreement to hold.
The U.S. military confirmed it had conducted strikes against Iranian positions shortly after a tanker was hit in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global energy shipments that Iran has largely blocked during the conflict.
Trump remarked on social media, “There may come a point when we are no longer able to be reasonable, and will be forced to militarily complete the job that we very successfully started,” adding that if such a scenario were to occur, “the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist.”
Context of the Interim Peace Accord
The 14-point interim peace accord was designed to halt hostilities that began on February 28 and to facilitate the reopening of the Strait while negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program continued.
Recent mediated discussions, led by Vice President JD Vance and Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, took place in Switzerland a week ago, during which the U.S. lifted some sanctions on Tehran. However, violence has since escalated, complicating the diplomatic landscape.
Shortly after Trump’s social media post, Kuwait’s military reported that its air defenses were activated in response to missile and drone attacks, while Bahrain confirmed that sirens had been triggered.
A U.S. official verified that Iran had targeted U.S. facilities but noted that there were no reported casualties or significant damage to U.S. sites in the Middle East. Nevertheless, the situation remains fluid.
In a subsequent incident, alarms were activated again in Bahrain, where authorities reported that an Iranian attack had damaged a residential building in Muharraq province, although no casualties were recorded. Bahrain has called on the UN Security Council to convene an urgent session to hold Iran accountable for its actions.
The Kuwaiti military reported intercepting two ballistic missiles without any damage or casualties. Additionally, Qatar announced that one of its nationals had died from shrapnel injuries sustained aboard a vessel that had gone missing on Saturday, with a second individual injured due to “military operations in the area,” according to the interior ministry.
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Published on 2026-06-29 06:27:00 • By the Editorial Desk
