Iran and US Agree to Halt Attacks, Renew Talks Amid Rising Tensions in Gulf

Iran and the United States have reached an agreement to cease recent hostilities in the Gulf and to resume discussions regarding their ongoing dispute over the Strait of Hormuz. This development, reported by a US official on Sunday, comes amid escalating tensions characterized by a series of retaliatory strikes.

Technical Talks Scheduled

According to the official, “Technical talks are slated to continue on all areas of the MOU. Both sides will stand down for now and vessels can move freely.” This statement refers to a 14-point memorandum of understanding established on June 17, which aims to reopen the strait for maritime traffic.

A high-level meeting concerning Iran is set to take place in Doha on Tuesday, with President Donald Trump’s senior envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, in attendance. Technical discussions are expected to occur alongside these high-level meetings.

However, reports from Reuters indicate that Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Majed Al Ansari, has stated that Witkoff and Kushner will not engage directly with Iranian officials during this meeting.

Diplomatic Developments

In a social media announcement on Monday, Trump indicated that Iran had requested a meeting, which is scheduled to occur in Qatar, although specific details were not disclosed. Shortly thereafter, Trump’s press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, confirmed to Fox News that Witkoff and Kushner would indeed participate in the discussions.

Leavitt stated, “Special Envoy Witkoff and Jared Kushner will be flying to Doha for high-level meetings this week, as we continue to discuss the memorandum of understanding. On the sidelines of those high-level talks, will be the technical talks.” She further emphasized, “As far as we’re concerned, we’re holding up our end of the ceasefire. Violence will be met with violence.”

Trump later remarked to reporters in the Oval Office that the upcoming US-Iran meeting in Qatar could be “perhaps important, perhaps not.”

Recent Escalations

This diplomatic effort follows several days of military exchanges, triggered by an Iranian projectile striking a cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz last Thursday. Both nations have accused each other of violating the interim ceasefire established on June 17.

On Sunday, Iran launched missiles and drones targeting US military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain, shortly after Trump issued a warning that Iran would “cease to exist” if it did not comply with the ceasefire agreement.

In a related development, Israel announced that it had conducted strikes against Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon, destroying underground infrastructure utilized by the group in a southern Lebanese village. This action followed a prior strike on Saturday, which occurred shortly after a ceasefire agreement with Lebanon was reached on Friday. Iran has stated that hostilities in Lebanon must cease for the broader agreement to hold.

The US military also reported conducting strikes against Iran shortly after a tanker was hit in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical energy shipping route that has been largely closed by Tehran during the ongoing conflict.

Trump warned 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.” He added, “If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist!”

Interim Peace Accord Under Strain

The 14-point interim peace accord was designed to halt hostilities initiated by the US and Israel on February 28 and to facilitate the reopening of the strait while negotiations on issues such as Iran’s nuclear program continued.

Violence and Accusations Persist

Recent violence has escalated despite the peace agreement. A week ago, a round of mediated talks led by Vice President JD Vance and Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, took place in Switzerland, during which Washington lifted some sanctions on Tehran. However, fighting has since resumed and intensified.

Following Trump’s social media post, Kuwait’s military reported that its air defenses were responding to missile and drone attacks, while Bahrain confirmed that sirens had sounded in the region.

A US official confirmed that Iran had targeted US facilities, stating that there were no reported US casualties or significant damage to sites in the Middle East, although the situation remains fluid.

Hours later, alarms were triggered again in Bahrain, where authorities reported that an Iranian attack had damaged a residential building in Muharraq province, though no casualties were reported. Bahrain has called for an urgent UN Security Council session to hold Iran accountable for its actions.

The Kuwaiti military reported intercepting two ballistic missiles, with no damage or casualties resulting from the incident.

In a separate incident, Qatar announced that one of its nationals had died from shrapnel injuries sustained aboard a vessel that had gone missing on Saturday. A second individual was injured in the incident, attributed to “military operations in the area,” according to the interior ministry, which did not specify a location or assign blame.

As reported by www.arnnewscentre.ae.

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Published on 2026-06-29 06:27:00 • By FAME Delivered News Desk