U.S. says Iran talks continue after weekend strikes threaten ceasefire

The ceasefire framework at the center of the dispute was signed on June 17. It was meant to deliver a 60-day halt to fighting and reopen the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping, with vessels allowed to move freely through the waterway. Talks with Iran will continue after weekend strikes, but Tehran did not confirm the next round and cast doubt on whether technical meetings were scheduled. Trump said Iran had asked for a meeting in Doha on Tuesday, while Iranian officials rejected that claim.

The deal leaves the hardest issues for later, including Iran’s nuclear program, control of the strait and how Tehran can use unfrozen funds. The arrangement would let Iran sell oil without restrictions and include sanctions relief.

The weekend escalation began after the U.S. struck Iranian targets in response to an Iranian drone attack on a cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran then launched drone and missile attacks targeting Bahrain and Kuwait. No U.S. assets in either country were hit and there were no U.S. injuries. U.S. Central Command carried out additional strikes on Iranian targets after the exchange.

The fighting put renewed pressure on the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil had moved before the war. Oil prices rose Monday as traders reacted to the risk of another disruption in the shipping lane. Mediators had established de-escalation channels, and U.S. and Iranian technical teams could meet in Doha in the coming days, but Gharibabadi said technical working group meetings were not scheduled for that week and that Doha talks were not confirmed. Trump has warned that the U.S. would “complete the job” if Iran does not comply.