Axios reported, citing a senior U.S. official, that the United States and Iran have agreed to stop all mutual strikes and attacks ahead of talks scheduled for Tuesday in Doha, Qatar, aimed at addressing disagreements over the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the report, a senior U.S. official, another American official, and a source familiar with the matter confirmed that the meeting will take place on Tuesday. One U.S. official said, “We have decided to stop all kinetic activities,” referring to military strikes and attacks.
A second U.S. official told Axios that both sides “will step back for now,” adding that “ships can move freely” while technical discussions between the two parties continue.
Axios noted that the ceasefire, now in its eleventh day, faces a serious test following renewed strikes by both sides and differing interpretations of the memorandum of understanding that ended the conflict, particularly regarding the Strait of Hormuz.
The memorandum reportedly requires Iran to make its best efforts to ensure the safe passage of commercial vessels through the strait, while the United States would lift restrictions on Iranian ports.
The report added that negotiations held in Switzerland last week, led by U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance on the American side, resulted in an agreement to establish a direct hotline between the U.S. military and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to coordinate shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. However, the hotline had not become operational by Saturday.
Axios also reported that Tuesday’s talks were originally scheduled to take place in Switzerland to discuss Iran’s nuclear program, but escalating tensions prompted their relocation to Doha and a shift in focus toward the Strait of Hormuz.
Nick Stewart, head of the U.S. technical team, is expected to participate in the discussions, while the White House has not issued an immediate comment.
The return to diplomacy follows several days of strikes and counterstrikes after an Iranian projectile hit a cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday. Washington and Tehran have accused each other of violating the temporary ceasefire agreed on June 17.
Iran launched missiles and drones at U.S. military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain early Sunday, shortly after President Donald Trump threatened to eliminate Iran’s leadership if it failed to comply with the temporary agreement aimed at ending the conflict.
Meanwhile, Israel said on Sunday that it had targeted Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon, destroying underground infrastructure used by the group in a village in the region.
The strike came a day after Israel agreed to a new ceasefire arrangement with Lebanon intended to reduce hostilities, a step Iran has demanded in order for the broader agreement to continue.
Earlier, the U.S. military announced a new strike on Iran hours after an oil tanker was targeted in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy shipping routes, which Iran has effectively kept largely closed since the conflict began.
Trump wrote on social media: “There may come a time when we can no longer act rationally and will be forced to complete the mission militarily after beginning it with great success.”
He added: “If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will cease to exist.”
The temporary 14-point agreement between Washington and Tehran was intended to halt the fighting that began on February 28 and reopen the strait to maritime traffic while negotiations continued on more complex issues, including Iran’s nuclear program.
In another sign of the agreement’s fragility, a member of the Office for the Preservation and Publication of the Works of Iran’s Supreme Leader told state television that Iran did not participate in the technical talks scheduled for Sunday due to the latest attacks against the country and because conditions outlined in the memorandum of understanding had not been fulfilled.
Mehdi Fazaeli said one issue was verifying access to funds that had been unfrozen. “If there is no access, then this condition has not been met,” he said.
Violence and Mutual Accusations After the Agreement
A round of talks mediated by international intermediaries was held in Switzerland a week earlier, led by U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. Washington subsequently granted limited sanctions relief to Tehran, but fighting resumed and intensified afterward.
About an hour after Trump’s post, the Kuwaiti military announced that its air defenses had intercepted “hostile” missiles and drones, while Bahrain’s Interior Ministry reported that warning sirens had sounded across the country.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said its naval and aerospace forces had conducted joint missile and drone operations against U.S. military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain.
According to Iran’s state-run Press TV, the Revolutionary Guard stated that U.S. strikes had violated the ceasefire and would result in a “complete halt to all diplomatic efforts.” The Guard’s naval command warned that American bases in the region would “see hell in the coming days.”
A U.S. official confirmed attacks on American facilities, telling Reuters that the situation was still developing, although there were no immediate reports of casualties or significant damage at U.S. sites in the Middle East.
Hours later, warning sirens sounded again in Bahrain. The Interior Ministry said a residential building on Muharraq Island had been damaged in an Iranian attack, though no injuries were reported. Bahrain urged the United Nations Security Council to convene an emergency session to hold Iran accountable.
The Kuwaiti military also reported intercepting two ballistic missiles without damage or casualties.
Separately, Qatar announced that one of its citizens had died from injuries sustained after being struck by shrapnel aboard a vessel that disappeared on Saturday. Another person was injured in the incident, which the Interior Ministry attributed to “military operations in the region” without specifying the location or assigning blame.
Reuters
