The two sides will meet in Doha to resolve disputes over the Strait of Hormuz after renewed military exchanges threatened their fragile ceasefire agreement.
The United States and Iran have agreed to halt military strikes “for now” and resume diplomatic engagement with a fresh round of talks in Qatar on Tuesday, in a move aimed at preventing the collapse of the fragile ceasefire reached earlier this month.
The decision follows several days of renewed military exchanges that tested the 11-day-old Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the two countries to end months of conflict. The latest tensions centred on differing interpretations of provisions governing navigation through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.
According to Axios.com, a senior US official said, “We decided to stop all the kinetic activity,” referring to the suspension of military strikes and other offensive operations.
Another US official told Axios.com that “both sides will stand down ‘for now'” and that “vessels can move freely” as technical-level discussions continue. The report added that officials from both countries are scheduled to meet in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday to resolve outstanding issues.
The planned meeting was originally expected to take place in Switzerland and focus primarily on Iran’s nuclear programme. However, the recent escalation prompted both sides to shift the venue to Doha and redirect discussions towards restoring stability in the Strait of Hormuz.
The waterway has emerged as the principal flashpoint in the fragile peace process. Under the MoU, Iran committed to making its best efforts to ensure the safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait, while the United States agreed to lift its blockade of Iranian ports.
During negotiations in Switzerland last week, the US delegation, led by Vice President JD Vance, reportedly agreed with Tehran to establish a direct “hotline” between the US military and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to coordinate commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
However, Axios.com reported that the hotline had not become operational as of Saturday, even as Iran resumed insisting that ships coordinate their passage through the waterway. The delay reportedly contributed to renewed tensions and competing interpretations of the agreement.
Recent military exchanges further strained the ceasefire after Washington accused Tehran of attacking commercial vessels near the Strait, while Iran warned that any violations of the agreement would halt diplomatic engagement.
According to CNN and Axios.com, despite the latest confrontation, both governments have now agreed to pause military operations to allow diplomacy to continue.
The multinational maritime security body overseen by the US Navy reported that commercial shipping through the Strait has continued despite heightened security concerns. It said 89 US-assisted commercial transits had taken place over the past 72 hours, although that remains below the historical average of 138 vessels per day.
The Doha talks are expected to focus on implementing mechanisms to guarantee uninterrupted commercial navigation through one of the world’s most important energy corridors while preserving the broader framework of the US-Iran peace agreement.
