Manila: The US and Iran have agreed to cease hostilities and will convene in Qatar on Tuesday to address their ongoing dispute over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, as reported by Axios news website on Sunday.
According to Philippines News Agency, the renewed tensions between the two nations arose from differing interpretations of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) that had previously ended their conflict, particularly concerning the provisions related to the Strait of Hormuz. A senior US official told Axios, "We decided to stop all the kinetic activity," referring to military strikes and other attacks.
The memorandum included a pledge from Iran to ensure the safe passage of commercial vessels through the strait, while the US agreed to lift its blockade of Iranian ports. Recent talks in Switzerland between US Vice President JD Vance and the Iranian delegation led to an agreement to establish a hotline between the US military and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to coordinate maritime traffic in the area.
Despite this agreement, by Saturday, the hotline was still not operational, with Iran continuing to assert that ships must coordinate their passage, as reported by Axios. The meeting scheduled for Tuesday was initially planned to take place in Switzerland to discuss Iran's nuclear program. However, the recent escalation in tensions prompted a relocation to Doha, shifting the focus to the Strait of Hormuz.
Earlier on Sunday, The Wall Street Journal reported that US-Iran talks had stalled following the resumption of hostilities, highlighting the challenges facing diplomatic efforts between the two countries.
