The Strait of Hormuz between Iran and Oman, an important route for global oil exports (Photo: Nikolas Kokovlis / NurPhoto / AFP)
The US and Iran finally agreed by the end of the weekend to cease further attacks and plan to meet to resume peace talks.
Both countries have carried out repeated attacks in recent days, despite the temporary ceasefire negotiated on 17 June.
Earlier, Washington and Tehran were reported to have accused each other of breaking the temporary ceasefire, after the US military carried out strikes on Iranian targets. According to the US, Tehran first attacked a cargo ship in the disputed Strait of Hormuz.
The US military said earlier that it attacked Iran again hours after a tanker was hit in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has closed the strait – the world’s most important route for shipping oil – for most of the conflict.
Iran, for its part, fired missiles and drones at US military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain on Sunday morning.
Also read: Peace deal violated: Washington, Tehran accuse each other
Both countries have agreed in terms of the temporary agreement that commercial ships may once again sail through the waterway. At the same time, the US agreed to lift the blockade of Iranian ports.
According to an American official who is part of the peace talks, “both sides have agreed to stand back for the time being” and ships will be able to move freely again.
“Technical discussions are expected to continue on all aspects of the temporary agreement,” the official further said in an email to AFP.
The official did not provide details on when or where the talks would take place, but two US officials and a third source with knowledge of the matter told the US media agency, Axios, that the discussions would resume in Qatar on Tuesday.
CNN also reported and after an official in pres. It refers to Donald Trump’s administration saying that both sides will “stand back for now” and that they have agreed to meet in Doha on Tuesday for further talks.
Trump has previously reiterated that further military action will follow if Iran does not stop its actions. He said on Saturday that Iran “will no longer exist” if the US is “forced” to resume the war.