The United States has announced that negotiations with Iran will continue after both countries agreed to temporarily halt fresh military attacks following a new round of retaliatory strikes that threatened an already fragile ceasefire.
A US official disclosed on Sunday that Washington and Tehran had agreed to de-escalate tensions and resume technical discussions under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at bringing an end to the wider Middle East conflict.
According to the official, both parties have agreed to suspend hostilities for the time being, allowing commercial vessels to navigate freely through and around the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
“Technical talks are slated to continue on all areas of the memorandum of understanding,” the official told AFP. “Both sides will stand down for now and vessels can move freely in and around the Strait of Hormuz.”
The announcement follows renewed exchanges between the two countries, highlighting the fragile nature of the Pakistan-mediated agreement designed to end months of fighting that has claimed thousands of lives and disrupted global energy supplies.
Although a ceasefire has been in place since April, tensions have repeatedly resurfaced, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime route through which nearly 20 percent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes during peacetime.
Iran has yet to officially respond to the latest US statement. The American official also declined to confirm reports that fresh negotiations would resume in Qatar on Tuesday.
Iran Maintains Tough Position on Hormuz
Tehran has continued to insist on exercising control over maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a position it gained during the conflict and appears unwilling to relinquish.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that any attempt by foreign vessels to bypass routes approved by Tehran would only heighten tensions and delay the full reopening of the strategic waterway.
“Any attempt to adopt new or separate arrangements compared to what is underway by the Islamic Republic of Iran will only lead to more complicated situations, delays in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and increased tensions,” Araghchi said.
Under international maritime law, both Iran and Oman share territorial waters in the strait but are generally prohibited from blocking lawful international passage or imposing transit charges.
Despite this, Iran effectively controlled access to the waterway throughout the conflict, giving it significant leverage over global energy markets.
The latest confrontation erupted early Sunday after the US Central Command announced strikes on 10 Iranian military targets, accusing Tehran of continued aggression against commercial shipping in the Gulf.
Iran responded by launching attacks on US military facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain. Both Gulf nations condemned the strikes.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they remain responsible for monitoring maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and warned that vessels violating Iranian regulations would face stronger enforcement measures.
Mohammad Mokhber, an adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, stated that as long as Iran controlled the strait, Washington’s ambitions for regional dominance would not succeed.
Security analysts believe tensions around the vital shipping lane are likely to continue despite ongoing diplomatic efforts.
According to HA Hellyer of the Royal United Services Institute in London, Iran could benefit from prolonging negotiations while maintaining controlled pressure in the Strait of Hormuz.
Although most of the recent exchanges have not resulted in large-scale casualties, Qatar’s Interior Ministry confirmed that one of its citizens was killed after shrapnel from military operations struck a civilian boat.
Israel Destroys Hezbollah Tunnel
Meanwhile, the conflict spread further on Sunday as Israel announced it had destroyed an extensive underground tunnel operated by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said the tunnel stretched more than 200 metres and reached a depth exceeding 25 metres.
According to Israeli authorities, the underground facility housed hundreds of weapons and several launch positions intended for attacks against Israel.
Lebanese state media reported Israeli airstrikes in the area, while Hezbollah condemned the operation, describing it as a clear violation of the ceasefire.
The Iran-backed group warned that it was closely monitoring Israel’s actions and reserved the right to respond in defence of Lebanon and its people.
Lebanon became directly involved in the regional conflict earlier this year after Hezbollah launched rocket attacks against Israel in support of Iran, prompting a large-scale Israeli military response that included sustained airstrikes and ground operations.
Iran has consistently maintained that Lebanon should remain part of any comprehensive peace agreement aimed at ending the broader Middle East war.
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