President Donald Trump of the United States confirmed that Washington has accepted Iran’s request to resume negotiations, even as hostilities between the two nations persist.
Nevertheless, in a Friday social‑media post, he emphasized that the June 17 cease‑fire has effectively ended.
Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, “The Islamic Republic of Iran has asked us to continue ‘talks.’”
He added, “We have agreed to do so, but the United States has made it clear, without ambiguity, that the cease‑fire is over!”
Iran has not yet confirmed that it made any request to resume talks. Both sides have presented conflicting accounts of their interactions throughout the U.S.-backed campaign against Iran, which began on February 28.
Trump’s remarks follow two days of mutual attacks concerning commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
In late June, the United States and Iran exchanged strikes after Trump accused Tehran of breaching the cease‑fire by deploying drones against container vessels.
Since Tuesday, the U.S. Central Command reported striking roughly 170 targets in Iran, while Iran has responded by attacking U.S. assets throughout the region.
This week’s exchange of fire represents the gravest challenge yet to the June 17 memorandum of understanding, which demanded an immediate cessation of hostilities, the lifting of the U.S. naval blockade on Iran, and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz.
In his Friday post, Trump did not specify whether the talks would aim to resume combat or concentrate on the issues slated for resolution within 60 days of the memorandum’s signing.
Key issues include the future of Iran’s nuclear program, the unfreezing of Iranian assets, and the governance of the Strait of Hormuz.
Qatari officials reportedly engage Iran in talks
On Friday, Qatari officials were reported to be meeting with Iran “to de‑escalate tensions and create conditions for broader negotiations to resume in Qatar or Pakistan,” according to Al Jazeera correspondent Victoria Gatenby in Doha, Qatar.
Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet responded to Al Jazeera’s request for comment.
On Friday, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Qatar’s prime minister and foreign minister, posted on X that he appealed to both the United States and Iran to honor their commitments during a call with Egypt’s foreign minister.
Both the United States and Iran have accused each other of violating the June memorandum of understanding prior to the latest escalation.
Iranian officials contend that the memorandum permits Tehran to assert influence over maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, thereby justifying attacks on vessels that fail to comply.
The United States maintains that the agreement obligates Iran to ensure unfettered passage.
Nevertheless, both Washington and Tehran have incentives to return to diplomacy; the war is politically unpopular in the United States and risks undermining Trump’s Republican Party ahead of the November midterms.
Iran’s already strained economy has suffered throughout the conflict, heightening the government’s desire to access frozen assets and lift sanctions.
Military analyst Alex Alfirraz Scheers told Al Jazeera that any talks would likely produce “very little” unless a measure of trust can be restored.
“I believe these talks are largely symbolic,” he said. “Without genuine momentum on trust‑building and confidence‑building, these discussions in the present context will likely amount to nothing.”
