WASHINGTON — The United States and Iran have agreed to stand down after recent strikes and plan to resume technical talks, a U.S. official said on Sunday, seeking to preserve a fragile ceasefire agreement.
Both sides will halt attacks “for now” and allow vessels to move freely through the Strait of Hormuz, the official told reporters. Technical discussions on all aspects of a June memorandum of understanding remain on track, with a meeting scheduled for Tuesday in Doha, Qatar.
The development follows days of tit-for-tat strikes that tested the interim deal signed earlier this month. Iran had launched missiles and drones at U.S. targets in Bahrain and Kuwait, while the U.S. conducted strikes on Iranian coastal sites, according to officials from both sides.
A senior U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the agreement aims to de-escalate tensions and keep diplomatic channels open. It is not clear whether Iran has formally confirmed the stand-down, though U.S. officials described the talks as continuing.
The June 17 memorandum of understanding, signed by President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, had called for an immediate end to major hostilities, reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping, and a 60-day window for broader negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program and sanctions relief.
Recent clashes near the strategic waterway, which carries about one-fifth of global oil trade, had raised fears of a wider disruption. No immediate details were available on casualties or damage from the latest exchanges.
U.S. officials have described the latest understanding as a temporary measure to stabilize the situation while talks proceed. Iran has not publicly detailed its position on the new agreement as of early Monday.
The situation remains fluid.
