Iran, US Agree To Halt Attacks And Resume Talks Over Strait Of Hormuz

Iran and the United States have reportedly agreed to suspend recent military hostilities in the Gulf and resume negotiations over the Strait of Hormuz, according to a U.S. official, raising hopes that a fragile interim peace agreement can still be preserved after days of escalating violence.

According to the official, both countries have agreed to temporarily stand down while technical discussions continue under the 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed on June 17.

“Technical talks are slated to continue on all areas of the MOU. Both sides will stand down for now and vessels can move freely,” the official said, referring to the agreement that reopened the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping.

Axios, which first reported the pause in hostilities, quoted a senior U.S. official as saying that negotiations are expected to resume on Tuesday in Qatar.

The renewed diplomatic effort follows several days of military exchanges that began after an Iranian projectile struck a cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday. Both Washington and Tehran have since accused each other of violating the interim ceasefire reached earlier this month.

Early Sunday, Iran launched missiles and drones targeting U.S. military facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump warned that Iran would face severe consequences if it failed to honour the agreement to end the conflict.

At the same time, Israel announced fresh strikes against Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon, destroying what it described as underground infrastructure used by the group. The latest operation followed another strike carried out on Saturday, shortly after Israel reached a separate ceasefire agreement with Lebanon on Friday.

Iran has maintained that lasting peace in Lebanon is essential for the broader regional agreement to remain in place.

Earlier, the U.S. military also confirmed carrying out another strike against Iran, hours after a tanker was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy shipping routes, which Tehran has largely restricted during the conflict.

Before reports of the new diplomatic breakthrough emerged, President Trump issued a stern warning 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,” Trump wrote.

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

The interim 14-point peace agreement was designed to halt fighting that began on February 28 and ensure the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz while both countries negotiated broader issues, including Iran’s nuclear programme.

Although one round of talks was held in Switzerland last week under the mediation of U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, with Washington easing some sanctions against Tehran, tensions have since escalated.

Shortly after Trump’s warning, Kuwait announced that its air defence systems had intercepted incoming missiles and drones, while Bahrain activated emergency sirens as attacks unfolded.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) later confirmed that its naval and air forces had launched missile and drone attacks against U.S. military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain.

The IRGC accused Washington of violating the ceasefire agreement.

“will result in the complete halt of all diplomatic processes”, the Guards said, according to state-run Press TV.

The IRGC naval command further warned that American military bases in the region “will experience hell in the coming days”.

A U.S. official confirmed that American facilities had been targeted but said there were no reported U.S. casualties or significant damage, although the situation remained under assessment.

Later on Sunday, Bahrain reported a second wave of alarms after an Iranian strike damaged a residential building in Muharraq province. Authorities said no casualties were recorded but called on the United Nations Security Council to convene an emergency meeting to hold Iran accountable.

Meanwhile, Kuwait said its military successfully intercepted two ballistic missiles without any casualties or property damage.

Separately, Qatar confirmed that one of its citizens died after sustaining injuries from shrapnel aboard a vessel that went missing on Saturday. Another individual was injured in the same incident.

Qatari authorities said the casualties resulted from “military operations in the area”, although they did not specify the location or assign responsibility.