The two sides are expected to meet in Qatar on Tuesday to resolve differences over the Strait of Hormuz as they agree to pause military action and allow commercial shipping to resume
The United States and Iran have agreed to halt military strikes against each other and are set to resume diplomatic engagement with a meeting in Doha on Tuesday, according to a report by Axios citing a senior US official.
The talks are expected to focus on resolving differences over the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic maritime corridor through which nearly a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas exports pass.
The US official said both countries had agreed to “stand down for now,” while vessels would be allowed to move freely through the waterway as technical discussions continue on all aspects of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) reached between the two sides.
The development marks the latest effort to prevent the confrontation from escalating after days of tit-for-tat strikes that heightened fears of a wider regional conflict. The renewed hostilities had disrupted commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and rattled global energy markets.
Despite the diplomatic breakthrough, uncertainty remains over the implementation of the MoU. Earlier, Iranian officials said Tehran had skipped scheduled technical talks because of recent attacks and what it described as the United States’ failure to fulfil certain commitments, including restoring access to Iranian funds frozen abroad.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also warned that any attempt to alter existing shipping arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz or bypass routes approved by Tehran would further complicate efforts to restore stability and increase tensions across West Asia.
The agreement to pause strikes comes amid growing international concern over the impact of the conflict on global trade and energy supplies. Oil prices rose on Monday after renewed exchanges between the two countries underscored the fragility of the interim truce. Diplomatic efforts in Doha are expected to test whether both sides can translate the temporary military pause into a broader de-escalation.
