The United States and Iran have agreed to halt recent military action and resume technical negotiations aimed at preserving a fragile interim agreement over the Strait of Hormuz, a US official said after four days of tit-for-tat strikes.
“Both sides will stand down for now and vessels can move freely,” the official said, referring to a 14-point memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed on June 17 , reopen the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping and launch a 60-day negotiation process on Iran’s nuclear programme and broader regional security issues.
A senior US administration official said technical talks remained “on track” and were scheduled to resume in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday, CNN reported.
“Nothing has been cancelled. Technical talks regarding implementation of the MoU are proceeding as planned, and deconfliction channels remain active,” the official said.
Iran had not publicly confirmed the latest understanding by Sunday evening, leaving uncertainty over whether both sides share the same interpretation of the agreement.
Tensions flared after Iran launched a projectile that struck a cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, prompting US retaliatory strikes on Iranian military infrastructure around the strategic waterway.
US military targeted Iranian missile storage facilities, drone launch sites and coastal radar installations. Tehran responded over the weekend by launching missiles and drones at eight U.S. military facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain, according to Iranian state-linked media and U.S. officials.
Earlier on Sunday, President Donald Trump warned that Iran risked severe consequences if it failed to uphold the ceasefire arrangements, saying the Islamic Republic would “cease to exist” if attacks continued.
Although U.S. officials said commercial vessels could once again transit freely through the Strait of Hormuz, maritime traffic remains well below pre-conflict levels as shipping companies continue to weigh security risks against political uncertainty.
The Strait of Hormuz carries roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, making any disruption closely watched by energy markets.
The June 17 agreement obliges Iran to make “arrangements using its best efforts” to ensure the safe passage of commercial shipping through the waterway.
However, the accord leaves unresolved the longer-term administration of the strait. One provision states that Iran and Oman will work together to define its future management, effectively giving Tehran a formal role in overseeing navigation through one of the world’s most strategically important maritime chokepoints.
That ambiguity has produced competing transit corridors.
One shipping lane follows Omani territorial waters to the south, another follows the traditional central shipping channel used before the conflict, while a third northern route passes through waters under Iranian control.
About 18 vessels transited inbound and 45 outbound through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, CNN quoted maritime intelligence analysts Windward. It said more than half the vessels leaving the Gulf had used the southern route close to Oman.
The renewed U.S.-Iran diplomatic push also faces pressure from continuing violence elsewhere in the region.
Meanwhile, Israel and Lebanon agreed in Washington on Friday to begin a phased implementation process under which Lebanese forces would gradually assume control of parts of southern Lebanon, Israeli officials have maintained that military operations will continue until Hezbollah no longer poses a threat to communities in northern Israel.
The Government of Israel and the Government of Lebanon commit to a reciprocal, sequenced process, with clear conditions, whereby the LAF will restore effective sovereign authority over all Lebanese territory, pending the verified disarmament of non-state armed groups and dismantlement of associated infrastructure, enabling the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to progressively redeploy out of the Lebanese territory.
